KOCHI: Police have arrested a man in connection with a fatal hit-and-run incident that claimed the life of a 48-year-old pedestrian at Irumbanam on the night of May 9. The accused, identified as Jiby Jacob, a resident of Maneed, was allegedly behind the wheel of the vehicle that hit Arun Kumar, a resident of Irumbanam, while he was crossing the road.
According to Hill Palace Police, the accused fled the scene without stopping after the collision. A case was registered and a detailed investigation was launched, during which officers examined CCTV footage from multiple locations along the Pettah-Refinery Road corridor, where the accident occurred.
“Initial footage retrieved was blurry, but we were able to confirm that the vehicle involved was a white Tata Nexon,” said an investigating officer. Based on this lead, police reviewed around 40 CCTV cameras to trace the movement of white Tata Nexon vehicles that passed through the area between 9.30 pm and 10.30 pm.
The breakthrough came when officers identified a white Tata Nexon parked in front of a pet clinic in Tripunithura, approximately 30 minutes before the incident. The vehicle, registered in Delhi, was linked to a visit by a man who had come with his wife and pet dog. Pet clinic staff identified the individual as Jiby Jacob.
Subsequent analysis of phone records helped police trace Jiby’s location. When officers reached his residence, he reportedly released his pet dog in an attempt to block police entry and tried to escape through the rear gate. However, he was apprehended after a brief chase.
During interrogation, Jiby confessed to his involvement in the accident. Police also discovered that he had taken his car to a workshop in Tiruvalla the following day to repair the damage that occurred in the collision.
“He claimed that he didn’t notice the pedestrian and, in panic, fled the scene. He had been working in New Delhi and had returned to Kerala a few months ago,” the officer said. Jiby was produced before a court and remanded in judicial custody. Police said they would seek his custody for further evidence collection.