THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Concurring with the findings of the state Crime Branch, CBI has concluded that rash driving caused the accident that killed musician Balabhaskar. The probe agency also ruled out possibility of the incident being stage-managed.The chargesheet in this regard was filed by CBI DySP Ananthakrishnan before the CJM Court, Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.
The chargesheet said the accident occurred due to the rash and negligent driving of Arjun Narayan, who was at the wheel of the SUV when it hit a wayside tree near Pallippuram on September 25, 2018. Arjun was charged under IPC Sections 279, 337, 338 and 304 (A) for rash and negligent driving and endangering a human life. The CBI will also register a case against artist Kalabhavan Soby George for giving false evidence, fabricating evidence and furnishing false information to a public servant.
The deceased musician’s family had sought the CBI inquiry suspecting the accident was stage-managed. After the arrest of two of Balabhaskar’s associates, by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in the gold smuggling case, the family’s suspicion grew thick. It was at this juncture that the state handed over the probe to the premier agency.
Soby, meanwhile, dropped a bombshell alleging that he saw Sarith P S, an accused in the gold smuggling case through the diplomatic baggage , at the accident site. His statement gave credence to the allegation that the musician could have been bumped off by the gold-smuggling racket.However, the chargesheet revealed that the CBI has concurred with the Crime Branch findings that Balabhaskar’s accident was real and not engineered. They also found Soby’s claims as fabricated.