At 1:45 a.m. on October 11, a black Mini Cooper bearing registration KL‑07‑CR‑1001 blew past a scooter on the Athani‑Airport road, 300 metres from the Athani signal junction, and collapsed, killing 20‑year‑old Iyas, and his friends Devika and Gopika. The crash left the trio with severe head and internal injuries that proved fatal.
Police say the 19‑year‑old driver, Suhail of Kochi, and three other occupants had been drinking at multiple bars that evening, including a Marriott hotel bar in Nedumbassery. The remand report alleges the passengers knew Suhail was intoxicated, failed to stop him and even urged him to accelerate.
Investigators are probing a possible street‑racing angle and whether narcotics were involved. The case has been registered under Section 105 of the Indian Penal Code for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, with additional charges of rash driving, abetment and common intention.
Suhail was taken into police custody and the authorities have seized an orange iPhone from him. Inspector Arun BK of the Nedumbassery Airport Police Station said the driver’s social influence could jeopardise witnesses and evidence.
The case is set to be heard by the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court‑I in Angamaly, where police seek 14 days of judicial custody. Blood‑test results for suspected drug use are pending.