THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A 45-year-old man and his five-year-old son were killed in a road accident at Kallingal near Nagaroor on Saturday night after the two-wheeler in which they were travelling was mowed down by a car, whose driver was reportedly under the influence of alcohol.
Those killed were identified as Pradeep aka Sunil Kumar and his son Sreedev. Pradeep’s other son, Sreehari, who is 15, is under treatment, and his condition is improving, said the Nagaroor police. According to the police, the accident occurred around 8.15 pm.
Pradeep, who was into construction work, and his sons were travelling from Nagaroor to their residence at Kallingal when they were mowed down by a luxury car that was heading in the opposite direction. The car had two Njarayilkonam natives in it, who have been identified as Shiraz, 32, and Jafar Khan, 42.
The Nagaroor police said Shiraz was behind the wheels when the accident occurred, and Jafar was the owner of the car. “Both were drunk, and a medical test has been performed on them. We are awaiting the test result,” said a police officer, who is part of the investigation.
Sreedev, who was sitting in the front portion of the two-wheeler, and Pradeep, who was riding it, died instantly, while pillion-rider Sreehari suffered serious injuries. The local sources said Sreedev’s head and face were shattered as he bore the brunt of the collision. The accident occurred while negotiating a curve, and the car was travelling on the wrong side, suggesting that the driver could have been drunk. The car hit the two-wheeler head-on and sent it smashing against the protection railing erected near a small stream. The remaining portions of Sreedev’s body were found in bushes near the stream.
Meanwhile, the local residents have raised serious allegations against the Nagaroor police, claiming that they gave undue favours to the car passengers. One of the local sources said the police came under the influence and named Shiraz as the driver even though they were aware that it was Jafar, who was behind the wheels.
“The police have been trying to shield the accused from the beginning. The press photographers were initially barred by the cops from taking photos of the accused. Jafar has got good political contacts being a businessman, who is based in the Middle East. There are unverified reports that it was Jafar, who was driving the car, and the police, in a bid to keep him out of serious legal wrangling, named Shiraz as the one who was at the wheels,” said the source.
The source added that there were half-empty liquor bottles in the car after the accident, and the police have not mentioned it in the records. The Nagaroor police said they have only recovered drinking water bottles from the car.
Meanwhile, the luxury car had almost collided with several other vehicles on its way from Kilimanoor before mowing down two people, it has also emerged. “The car was travelling at high speed and on the wrong side on its way to Kallingal. It narrowly missed hitting a few other vehicles,” said the scribe of a local news website.
The police, meanwhile, have registered cases against Shiraz and Jafar under IPC section 304, which is bailable, for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.