3 students killed as allegedly drunk 19-year-old rams Mini Cooper into scooter

Three students were killed when a speeding Mini Cooper driven by an intoxicated 19-year-old rammed into their scooter near Kochi airport in Kerala’s Ernakulam district, at around 2 am on Sunday. The car driver has been identified as Suhail Sajeev, and he was taken into custody after the crash. The video of the incident has gone viral on Social media.

The three students were returning home after having tea at a nearby shop. The scooter was travelling on the extreme left side of the wide road when the luxury hatchback, reportedly travelling at an excessive speed of 125 km/h, rammed into it. The victims have been identified as Devika, a native of Wayanad, Gopika, a native of Palakkad, and Ijaz, a native of Karnataka. According to locals, the speeding car left the three riders critically injured. They rushed them to a hospital, but they died.

According to police, Suhail had no remorse: "What are roads meant for? Driving, right?" He was cornered by local residents and eyewitnesses at the scene; he reportedly said, "My father will take care of everything."

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The Mini Cooper was a recent birthday gift from his mother, a prominent design studio owner, while his father is a wealthy textile businessman who holds the vehicle registration.

In a separate development, Suhail was attacked by a group of angry youngsters at the hospital in Aluva while the Nedumbassery Airport police were escorting Sajeev out after his mandatory medical examination. Police personnel intervened to prevent further attacks and shifted him out of the hospital premises to ensure his safety.

The Nedumbassery Airport police took Sajeev into custody and registered a non-bailable case under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Preliminary investigation indicates that the suspect was intoxicated. Ernakulam Rural Superintendent of Police K S Sudarsan told reporters that a forensic examination of the car was also underway to check whether any intoxicating substances were found inside it.