Kerala High Court asks for State reply on bail plea by two accused in airport road car crash

Two young men charged over a deadly luxury car crash near Kochi airport have approached the Kerala High Court for relief after lower courts rejected their earlier pleas. Justice Kauser Edappagath asked the State government to submit its reply on the petitions filed by Suhail Sajeev and Joyal S. Anto, who are listed as the first and third accused in the case.

Court Proceedings

The High Court will take up the matter next on November 6. The Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Angamaly and the Additional Sessions Judge in Ernakulam had earlier refused to grant them bail. Both petitioners are 19-year-old students who argued that staying in custody will ruin their studies. They promised to follow all bail rules, help the police with the probe, meet the investigating officer whenever told, and leave evidence untouched.

Arguments By Accused

Joyal defended himself by stating he was only sitting in the back seat and did not own the vehicle or control how fast it went or where it headed. He claimed that the police failed to secure the spot properly, but physical records of the site show the incident was not planned. He also argued that prosecutors failed to link him to the crime and noted that police did not test his blood or urine for alcohol.

Background Of Crash

The accident happened around 1.45 a.m. on October 11 when a car driven by Suhail hit a two-wheeler on Airport Road near Athani. Three 21-year-old individuals named Gopika, Devika, and Iyas died in the collision. Joyal along with two other passengers named Ninav and Ameer were inside the car at the time. All four face charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for rash driving, culpable homicide not falling under murder, and sharing a common intention to commit the crime.

Context

Bail hearings in serious criminal cases often involve balancing the personal rights of young accused individuals against the gravity of fatal accidents caused by alleged negligence. Courts routinely examine the specific role played by each passenger or driver before deciding whether prolonged pre-trial detention is necessary for a fair investigation.