Kochi Mini Cooper crash: Kerala police arrest four after fatal collision leaves three dead

Police in Kerala have moved swiftly to arrest four people following a high-speed collision near Cochin International Airport that left three young workers dead.

The crash happened at roughly 1.45 am on 11 October along the airport road in Nedumbassery. A black Mini Cooper, driven by 19-year-old Suhail Sajeev, rammed the rear of a scooter as it navigated a curve. The impact flung all three scooter riders onto the tarmac. The victims—Devika, 21, from Wayanad; Gopika, 22, from Palakkad; and Iyas, 21, from Coorg in Karnataka—succumbed to their injuries at nearby hospitals. The three worked together at a craft outlet in Thrikkakara and were returning towards Athani after stopping at a tea stall.

Decisive police action and multiple arrests

Sajeev was apprehended at the site and handed over to officers, while his companion Ninav, also 19, was taken into custody shortly afterwards. On Monday, officers from Nedumbassery police station arrested two other passengers who had fled the scene, tracking them down in Alappuzha district and charging them with abetment.

A local magistrate remanded both Sajeev and Ninav to the Borstal school in Thrikkakara, which houses remand prisoners aged between 18 and 21. Sajeev has been booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and investigators plan to seek custody for further interrogation.

Ernakulam Rural district police chief KS Sudarshan said forensic teams collected blood and urine samples from Sajeev after preliminary checks indicated intoxication, with full laboratory results awaited. Officers are also reviewing CCTV footage and witness accounts, which suggest the car was travelling at around 120 km/h at the time of the collision.

Crackdown on illegal alcohol service

Police inquiries revealed that the teenagers had visited three bars in Kochi on the evening of 10 October before driving towards the airport to pick up an acquaintance.

That finding prompted an immediate investigation by the state Excise Department. Kerala law prohibits licensed premises from serving alcohol to anyone under 23. Authorities have initiated formal proceedings against all three venues for supplying liquor to underage customers.

Scrutiny over previous speeding

Public anger over the collision has been sharpened by footage recovered from social media. A clip posted in April on an account linked to Sajeev shows the speedometer of the same Mini Cooper rising from 204 km/h to 220 km/h on a highway while loud music plays inside. Investigators are examining whether the recording will form part of the evidence on reckless driving.

Relatives of the victims have called for stricter charges against the driver. Devika’s uncle, Sandeep, urged the police to invoke murder provisions, saying the driver had a record of reckless conduct and had destroyed the future of a hardworking family.