KOCHI: After nearly 12 hours of interrogation in connection with the November 1 deaths of two models and their friend in a car crash, the owner of the No 18 hotel stated on Wednesday that he destroyed the digital video record (DVR) of the CCTV cameras installed at the party hall — which had earlier gone missing — to protect the privacy of those who had attended the party along with the victims that night.
Roy J Vayalat also stated that he had sent his friend Shaiju to follow the car driven by Mala native Abdul Rehman, in which the three deceased — Miss South India Ansi Kabeer, Miss Kerala 2019 runner-up Anjana Shajan and their friend Mohammad Ashiq — were travelling.
As per Roy’s confession, nearly 30 people had attended the night party at his hotel on October 31. “Some of the attendees had asked the models to stay back, but they refused. Subsequently, Roy asked Shaiju to follow the car in which the models were travelling to dissuade them from driving under the influence of alcohol. Shaiju managed to intercept the other car at Kundannoor and asked them to return to the hotel. But they refused to do so,” a police source said.
After the accident, Shaiju was at the accident spot as well as the hospital, constantly updating Roy of the developments. “Roy claimed that some people who attended the party had contacted him after the accident. He apparently feared that the privacy of his customers would be affected if the police checked the CCTV footage, and therefore destroyed it,” sources said.
Ansi’s family urges police to clear their doubts
Kochi: Relatives of former Miss South India Ansi Kabeer have approached the police requesting them to clear the doubts surrounding the accident in which she was killed. Ansi’s uncle Naseen on Wednesday filed a petition in this regard with the Palarivattom police officials who are probing case.
“We are satisfied with the probe, but have sought some clarifications on the various suspicions raised regarding the accident,” Naseen told reporters. “It is mentioned that another car was following Ansi’s vehicle. We want some light shed on that. Also, the police told us the owner of the hotel where Ansi and other attended the party destroyed the CCTV footage. We would like to know why,” he said.