KOCHI: After confirming that the car that crashed into a tree — killing three passengers including two models — was involved in racing with another high-end car, the police are analysing in detail the CCTV footage of their travel from a Fort Kochi hotel to Chakkaraparambu. The move comes in the wake of Kakkanad-based businessman Syju — the driver of the second car — admitting to chasing them.
“CCTV footage has shown that a chase happened between the two cars. A case will be registered against Syju for rash driving under section 279 of IPC,” said A Ananthalal, Inspector of Police, Panangad. Syju has close links with Roy Joseph, the owner of the No 18 Hotel where the four people in the crashed car had attended a party a few hours earlier.
The police said he stopped the models’ car and directed them to stay at the hotel as the driver and the other man in the car were drunk. As they moved ahead, Syju started following them from the Fort Kochi hotel. However, mystery shrouds his behaviour as he was not involved in the rescue operations despite witnessing the accident, and left for Edappally. He told investigators that he was the one who informed the police control room about the accident.
Inspector Ananthalal said that the owner of the hotel has not been named as an accused in the case, and that he was summoned after the police could not retrieve the CCTV footage from the hotel. The excise department has already suspended the bar license of the hotel after it emerged that liquor used to be supplied there daily late into the night.
The car carrying Miss South India Ansi Kabeer, Miss Kerala 2019 first runner-up Anjana Shajan and Thrissur native Mohammad Ashiq, and driven by Mala native Abdul Rehman, hit a two-wheeler and then crashed into a tree by the side of the NH 66 at Chakkaraparambu in the early hours of November 1. Ansi and Anjana died on the spot while Ashiq succumbed to injuries at a hospital in Kochi. Rehman was arrested after he was discharged from the hospital.