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Kochi City Police Commissioner Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar has been transferred and R Nishanthini appointed successor amid scrutiny over a fatal Mercedes crash case.
Kochi City Police Commissioner Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar speaks to the media (Photo: PTI)
Kochi City Police Commissioner Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar has been transferred out, with R Nishanthini appointed as his successor, amid a probe into a fatal road accident involving a Mercedes-Benz allegedly driven by the 17-year-old son of an Additional District and Sessions Judge.
The development comes days after the luxury car allegedly hit and killed a 55-year-old scooterist, Jayabalakrishnan, on Container Road at Marapparambu in Cheranalloor, Kochi, in the early hours of Sunday.
The case has drawn considerable attention following allegations of preferential treatment in the initial police response and questions over the responsibility of the judge, in whose name the vehicle was registered.
According to news agency PTI, the police transferred the investigation to the District Crime Branch on Monday, citing the sensitive nature of the case.
The Kerala High Court also granted permission to the police to arraign the judge as an accused, sources said.
JUDGE BOOKED UNDER MOTOR VEHICLES ACT
Police arraigned the judge under Section 199A of the Motor Vehicles Act, which holds a juvenile’s guardian or the registered owner of a vehicle liable for an offence committed by a minor under the Act.
Kochi City Police Commissioner Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar had earlier said that the responsibility of the vehicle’s registered owner and guardian was being examined as part of the investigation.
“The responsibility of the vehicle’s registered owner and guardian is also being examined as part of the investigation,” Mahesh Kumar said, adding that legal action would be taken based on the findings.
He had also described the incident as serious and stressed that parents must ensure their vehicles are not driven irresponsibly. The police were examining whether there had been any lapses at the local police station in the handling of the case.
TEENAGER REBOOKED AFTER FAMILY’S PROTEST
The accident occurred when Jayabalakrishnan, a resident of South Chittoor in Cheranalloor who ran a roadside eatery, was returning home on his scooter. The Mercedes-Benz allegedly struck him while travelling at high speed on Container Road.
The police initially registered a case under Section 106(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), relating to causing death by negligence. The teenager was released on bail from the police station on Sunday evening.
However, following protests by the victim’s family outside the Cheranalloor police station, the teenager was apprehended again and booked under Section 105 of the BNS, which deals with culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
He was subsequently produced before the Juvenile Justice Board, which granted him bail.
Investigators have also recovered a video allegedly showing the teenager filming while driving.
According to the police, the vehicle can be seen travelling at around 104 kmph in the footage. Police have initiated steps to cancel the bail granted to the juvenile.
VICTIM’S FAMILY QUESTIONS POLICE ACTION
The victim’s daughter, Bhadrakeerthy, told reporters on Monday that she would continue her fight for justice and would not allow the judge or his minor son to escape responsibility for her father’s death.
She expressed a lack of faith in the police and alleged that the teenager had received preferential treatment because his father was a judge.
Jayabalakrishnan’s son, Barathsankar, also said the family would continue its protest until action was taken against the judge and the Juvenile Justice Board that granted bail to the teenager.
The family had demanded action against police personnel who initially registered a case under a lesser charge.
CASE RAISED IN KERALA ASSEMBLY
The incident was also raised in the Keralam Assembly by Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan during a discussion on Monday. Vijayan referred to an earlier accident in Nedumbassery in which a Mini Cooper luxury car allegedly driven by a 19-year-old killed three young people.
He expressed concern over the recurrence of such incidents and alleged attempts by the minor’s father to intervene, urging the government to examine the case closely.
Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala agreed with the concerns raised by the Opposition leader and assured the Assembly that strong action would be taken.
“The initial action taken by the Cheranalloor police was not correct,” Chennithala said, acknowledging lapses in the police response that led to the teenager’s release on bail from the station.
He said the police should initially have invoked the appropriate provisions, including culpable homicide, and that he had directed the Director General of Police to review the case.
The DGP and the ADGP in charge of law and order subsequently intervened, following which the relevant charge was added, he said.
Chennithala added that the vehicle was reportedly registered in the judge’s name and warned that action would be taken against the father if warranted by the investigation.
With Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar transferred out and R Nishanthini taking over as Kochi City Police Commissioner, the case continues to face scrutiny over the initial police response, the charges invoked against the juvenile and the potential liability of the vehicle’s registered owner.
Quick Answers
Ask News18Kochi Police Commissioner Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar was transferred out and replaced by R Nishanthini following controversy and allegations of preferential treatment in the initial police response to a fatal crash. The luxury Mercedes-Benz involved in the accident allegedly hit and killed a 55-year-old scooterist, and the initial handling of the case faced widespread scrutiny and public protest before being handed over to the District Crime Branch.
Ask News18About the Author
Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has more than 10 years of experience in national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.
October 28, 2026, 11:42 IST
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