KOCHI: Muvattupuzha police probing the death of Namitha R, the student of Nirmala College, Muvattupuzha, who was hit by a speeding motorcycle, sent the blood samples of the accused biker, Anson Roy of Kalloorkad, to the Regional Chemical Laboratory in Kakkanad on Friday to verify whether he was intoxicated at the time of the incident.
Preliminary analysis of his blood samples done at the hospital where Namitha, her friend Anushree Raj and Anson were admitted with injuries following the accident had found the presence of alcohol in his blood.
The accident took place on Wednesday. Anson’s speeding bike hit Namitha and Anushree, both third-year BCom students of Nirmala College, while they were crossing the road near the college. Namitha was dragged on the road for several meters before the bike came to a halt.
After registering a case for culpable homicide against Anson, police decided to verify whether he was riding after taking drugs or consuming liquor. Students who had shifted Anson to the hospital had claimed he was intoxicated and misbehaving inside their vehicle.
On the police’s request, the hospital authorities collected five blood samples of Anson and handed them over to the officers. Preliminary analysis then done.
“The doctor’s report earlier had revealed the presence of alcohol in Anson’s blood. Since the case is related to a student’s death, we expect the results in a week,” said Baiju P M, Muvattupuzha SHO. He said there were allegations that Anson had taken drugs. “This too will be confirmed in the result,” he said.
Meanwhile, police are monitoring Anson’s health. The officers said he had a minor swelling on his forehead and fractures in his leg. “We are in constant touch with the doctors. He is under observation to ascertain whether he requires surgery for the fracture. Further legal procedure, including arrest, can be recorded only after he is discharged,” Baiju said.
Anushree, who was injured in the accident and hospitalised, is recovering fast and is expected to be discharged soon.
Meanwhile, police have drafted a report to send to the Motor Vehicles Department seeking to suspend Anson’s driving licence. “We found that Anson regularly indulged in rash and reckless riding. Besides the suspension of his licence, steps will be taken to cancel the registration of the motorcycle involved in the accident,” an officer with the Muvattupuzha police station said.
Police had found that Anson was involved in six criminal cases, including a murder attempt case and two cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, registered in the Muvattupuzha, Vazhakulam and Kalloorkad police stations.
Bereaved parents demand appropriate punishment
Raghu and Girija, the parents of Namitha, have demanded appropriate punishment for the accused so that accidents like the one that killed their daughter can be curbed. “It is clear that Namitha and her friend were crossing the road cautiously and that bike came straight at them,” one of the parents told reporters at their house on Friday. They said Namitha usually called them whenever she boarded the bus. They said they became worried when she did not call on Wednesday.
“The college authorities later informed us about the accident. However, we learnt about the gravity of the situation upon reaching the hospital,” said the parent, adding that Namitha was a bright student and wanted to become a chartered accountant.