KOCHI: In one of the most meticulously investigated cases by the Kerala Police last year, a hit-and-run incident in Vadakara that claimed the life of a 62-year-old woman and left her 9-year-old granddaughter in a coma was finally solved.
After investigations leaning on technological approaches failed, the police turned to conventional methods to identify the vehicle involved in the tragedy.
The incident occurred on February 17, when Baby and her granddaughter, Drishna, were crossing the national highway at Charode near Vadakara. A speeding car hit them, fleeing the scene before bystanders could act.
Baby succumbed to her injuries, and Drishna remains in a coma, undergoing treatment at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital. A hit-and-run case was registered at the local police station.
Initial investigations included reviewing multiple CCTV recordings and collecting mobile tower dump data, but the only clue police could gather was that a white car was involved.
The case gained public attention when it came to the notice of the Kerala High Court and the Human Rights Commission. Both intervened and sought regular updates on the case’s progress. Subsequently, in August, the police formed a special investigation team led by V V Benny, deputy superintendent of police (Crime Branch).
“We began with a detailed plan, exploring all possibilities of how the car owner might have concealed the accident,” Benny explains.
The team coordinated with the Motor Vehicle Department, insurance companies, workshops, and spare parts shops to gather leads.
As part of the investigation, the police reviewed footage from 40 CCTV cameras along the Vadakara-Thalassery NH stretch and identified a small lead: the accident was caused by a white Type-2 Maruti Suzuki Swift. After moving forward from the accident scene, the car took a diversion from the highway.
“From this vague information, we decided to develop our probe further. The Type-2 Swift cars were sold between 2011 and 2018. There were around 19,000 such cars in Kerala. So, we focused on cars in Kozhikode, Kannur, Kasaragod and Wayanad districts,” he explains.
But such an approach quickly grew tedious. So, the focus was shifted to local workshops. Details of repairs made to Swift cars were sought from over 500 workshops.
“We suspected the car might still be in the Vadakara area, as it took a diversion from the highway after the incident,” Benny says.
This line of inquiry led to a breakthrough. Two white Swift cars had been serviced in nearby workshops. One of them, repaired in the Purameri area in March, had damages matching the accident’s description.
“The owner, identified as Shajeel, had claimed insurance, stating his car hit a wall. We scrutinised the photos submitted for the claim and found that there were damages to the bumper, bonnet, front light, and windshield. We also tracked the spare parts used for repairs to a local shop,” the officer adds.
After further enquiries, police learned that Shajeel, a resident of Purameri and a UAE-based worker, was in India at the time of the accident.
“We first spoke to Shajeel’s wife, who denied any accident. Then we contacted Shajeel. He too maintained that the damages occurred to the car after hitting a wall. We contacted them a second time. This time, with all the evidence. Then Shajeel’s wife had to admit the truth. Shajeel did too,” Benny explains.
Shajeel revealed that the accident occurred while travelling with his family. He was distracted during an argument with his children about seating arrangements when the incident happened. Police also uncovered his efforts to destroy evidence, including the removal of stickers from the car’s rear glass and providing false reasons for insurance claim.
Despite being summoned for questioning, Shajeel failed to return from the UAE. So, a lookout notice has been issued against him, and steps have been initiated to cancel his vehicle registration and driving licence.
“We eliminated several suspects through painstaking investigation. Each step required immense effort and time, but our persistence paid off,” Benny says.
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