Three young scooter riders died in the Mini Cooper crash in Kochi. On Friday the Kerala High Court granted regular bail to all four accused, directing that the alleged driver be released only after 10 days.
Kochi: After almost a month in custody, four young men accused in the October 11 Mini Cooper crash on the Airport-Athani road, in which a car allegedly driven under the influence of alcohol hit a scooter and killed all three riders, had their bail applications allowed by the Kerala High Court on November 6, 2026 [Suhail v. State of Kerala and connected cases].
Justice Kauser Edappagath ordered that the first accused, Suhail Sajeev, who is alleged to have been at the wheel, can be released only after 10 days. No such period was imposed on the other three accused, Ninav, Ameen Shah and Joyal S. Anto, who were passengers in the car. A detailed order is awaited.
What the Court said in open court
After hearing Senior Advocate Raman B. Pillai and Advocate Saiby Jose Kidangoor for the accused, Director General of Prosecution T. Asaf Ali for the State, and counsel for the father of one of the deceased, the Court indicated its decision orally:
“I’ll dispose of the bail applications. I’ll dispose of the case but order release of the first accused after 10 days…Others, I’ll grant bail. Others, no offence is attracted.”
The Court noted that the accused had been in custody for almost a month, including two spells of three-day police custody, that they had no criminal antecedents, that their licences had been suspended and that the investigation had concluded. On the question of whether the accused had the knowledge needed for the graver charge, it remarked:
“Mere consumption of alcohol or overspeeding, we cannot jump to the conclusion that they had requisite knowledge. Of course, these are primary pieces of evidence…Three innocent people died. Accused in early twenties. They have no criminal antecedents. They are students.”
These remarks were made orally in court, and the reasons will be set out in the detailed order. The allegations against the accused are yet to be tested at trial; the Court has expressed no final view on the merits, and the accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
ALSO READ: Ernakulam Sessions Court Denies Bail To Four Accused In Kochi Mini Cooper Crash Case
How the accused came to the High Court
According to the prosecution, the car hit a scooter carrying three riders in the early hours of October 11. The accused have been booked under Sections 281, 105, 49 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. Suhail and Ninav were arrested on October 11 and remanded to judicial custody, and Joyal and Ameen were arrested and remanded the next day. They approached the High Court after their bail pleas were rejected by the Additional Sessions Court, Ernakulam and the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, Angamaly.
Why the order matters
Fatal drunk-driving crashes often turn on whether the prosecution can sustain a charge of culpable homicide, which needs proof of knowledge, rather than a negligence offence. The Court’s oral observation that alcohol or speed alone does not establish such knowledge, together with its refusal to treat the passengers as liable, will shape how the case proceeds to trial. The 10-day deferment for the alleged driver signals that the Court drew a line between him and the others.
Case Title: Suhail v. State of Kerala; Joyal S. Anto v. State of Kerala; Ninav v. State of Kerala; Ameen Shah v. State of Kerala
Case No.: Bail Appl. Nos. 6680, 6643, 6729 and 6734 of 2026
Bench: Justice Kauser Edappagath, Kerala High Court
Date of Order: November 6, 2026
Appearances: Senior Advocate Raman B. Pillai with Advocate Saiby Jose Kidangoor and others for the accused; Director General of Prosecution T. Asaf Ali for the State
