KOCHI: The death of a 52-year-old man in a hit-and-run case at Choondikal near Vellarada sparked public outcry last month. Suresh, a carpenter, had been struck by a speeding motorcycle on September 7 near his room.
As the rider sped away, Suresh was assisted to his room by a passerby. Four days later, neighbours discovered his partially decomposed body inside.
Subsequently, it was ascertained that a head injury from the accident caused his death. Outraged by the rider’s apathy, local residents demanded strict action from the police.
Vellarada Station House Officer V Prasad and his team initially struggled to identify the motorcycle involved. The CCTV footage collected from the area lacked clarity, and the police couldn’t determine the vehicle’s type or read its number plate.
Just when it seemed the case might remain unsolved due to insufficient evidence, luck turned in favour of the officers. They identified the man who had helped Suresh to his room, and he reported that the bike’s engine sound was “quite different”, although he hadn’t seen it. He had heard the distinct vroom as the rider fled the scene.
This information, seemingly minor, soon shifted the course of the investigation. Officers deduced that the motorcycle involved could be a KTM Duke, and the rider most likely a young rider.
“Once we ascertained the type of bike that was involved in the accident, the rest of the probe gathered steam,” says Prasad.
“We had scoured about 150 cameras in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, as Vellarada is on the inter-state border. We found that no KTM Duke had crossed that route on that day. So, we assumed that the bike belonged to someone in the vicinity.”
The police then identified local owners of KTM Duke motorcycles. And finally, they zeroed down on 22-year-old Athul D, who had struck Suresh.
According to the police, Athul and his friend Vipin, who was riding pillion on the day of the accident, were too frightened to admit their involvement initially.
“After hitting the man, they panicked and fled the scene,” says Prasad. Both were booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and were remanded to judicial custody.
Though it might sound simple, the investigation was quite complex. “It lasted about a month,” notes Prasad. “We worked hard to crack the case. Despite having no clear CCTV footage, we managed to identify the motorcycle involved. That was the turning point. The statement about the engine’s ‘vroom’ was vital,” he says.