KOCHI: The district crime branch team, probing the death of three persons including models Ansi Kabeer and Anjana Shajan in a car crash, will investigate Syju Thankachan’s links with people involved in various drug cases. Syju, who was found following the ill-fated car of the victims, was arrested on Friday and produced before the Ernakulam Judicial First Class Magistrate Court on Saturday evening. The court has granted his custody to police for three days.
According to sources, the police submitted at the magistrate’s chamber on the day that a preliminary examination of Syju’s mobile phone has revealed his links with people arrested in various drugs cases. A detailed probe into this is required, the police said. Reportedly, some suspicious photographs and messages were also found in his phone.
The police also stated in court that Syju was well aware of the inebriated condition of Abdul Rahman — who was driving the car in which the models were travelling — and that he was stalking the models in his car after the night party at the No 18 Hotel, Fort Kochi, during the wee hours of November 1. His actions created panic among the people in the Ford Figo car, which is suspected to be a reason behind the accident, the police said.
Meanwhile, Syju has filed a bail petition claiming no role in the incident. He said he was travelling home after the party and had advised the models and driver Rahman to stay back after seeing that he was in an inebriated condition. He has also denied that he chased the car. His petition will be considered for hearing on Monday.
The probe team took Syju to the No 18 Hotel before he was produced before the court. Later, the team took him through the route he had taken on the night of the crash. The vehicle stopped at the spot between Thevara Ferry Junction and Kundannoor Bridge, where Syju had allegedly stopped his car to speak to the models. He was also taken to the roadside spot near Kundannoor Junction, where Syju stopped the car for the second time and spoke to Rahman.
The police believe the conversation with Syju at the junction had caused the victims to panic. “The car was moving at very high speed from Kundannoor Junction to Chakkaraparambu,” an official said.