Who answers for a minor at the wheel of a luxury car? After a Mercedes allegedly driven by a judge’s 17-year-old son killed a scooter rider in Kochi, the victim’s family has alleged a cover-up, and police are weighing whether the car-owning father can be proceeded against.
Kochi: The family of Jayabalakrishnan, a 55-year-old roadside eatery owner from Cheranalloor who was killed when a Mercedes-Benz allegedly driven by the 17-year-old son of an Additional District and Sessions Judge hit his scooter, has alleged attempts to cover up the crash, after police first booked the teenager only for causing death by negligence and released him on station bail.
Following protests, police invoked Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), culpable homicide not amounting to murder, took the teenager back into custody and produced him before the Juvenile Justice Board, which granted him bail. Police are seeking legal opinion on whether the judge, in whose name the car is registered, can be arraigned.
The crash
According to police, the crash took place at about 2:20 AM on Sunday, October 25, near Maraparambu on Container Road at Cheranalloor, as Jayabalakrishnan was riding home. The teenager, a student from Aluva, had allegedly taken the car without his parents’ knowledge and was travelling from Vallarpadam towards Kalamassery in the same direction as the scooter. Jayabalakrishnan died of his injuries. The teenager was taken into custody at the spot and the car was seized.
The teenager is said to have told police that it was raining and that the scooter suddenly changed direction to avoid waterlogging. Police said the car stopped a few metres away, while a niece of the deceased said it came to a halt more than half a kilometre from the point of impact.
From Section 106 to Section 105
Police initially registered a case under Sections 281 (rash driving on a public way) and 106(1) (causing death by negligence) of the BNS, and the teenager was released on station bail by Sunday evening. The victim’s son and daughter, joined by activists, then protested outside the Cheranalloor police station, demanding his arrest and production before the Juvenile Justice Board. The daughter fainted during the protest and was taken to hospital.
After senior officers intervened, police invoked Section 105 BNS on the basis of a preliminary investigation, saying the boy had been driving at high speed and had driven the vehicle in a similar manner before. Late that night, police took him into custody again from the judge’s residence and produced him before the Board, which granted him bail.
The family’s allegations
The family has alleged a cover-up. According to media reports, the allegations include that social media reels were deleted and that others fled the scene, and that the judge responded arrogantly when questioned about allowing his minor son to drive. Police have said the teenager was alone in the car. These are the family’s allegations; they have not been verified, and the judge’s response to them is not on record. Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has expressed strong displeasure over the handling of the case.
The law on minors driving
Section 199A of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, inserted in 2019, provides that where an offence under the Act is committed by a juvenile, the guardian or the owner of the vehicle is deemed to be guilty unless they prove that the offence was committed without their knowledge or that they took due care to prevent it. Such a guardian or owner can be punished with imprisonment of up to three years and a fine of Rs 25,000, the vehicle’s registration can be cancelled for a year, and the juvenile is barred from obtaining a licence until the age of 25.
The teenager has said he took the car without his parents’ knowledge, which bears directly on the question police are now considering.
Because the driver is a child in conflict with the law, Section 74 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 bars disclosure of any information that may lead to his identification. LawChakra is therefore not naming him or his father.
Second fatal luxury-car crash this month
The crash comes two weeks after a Mini Cooper hit a scooter near Nedumbassery on the Airport-Athani road on October 11, killing all three people on it. Investigators in that case have said the car was travelling at over 160 km/h, based on phone video and CCTV footage.
The allegations against the teenager are untested. He is presumed innocent, and the Juvenile Justice Board will deal with the case in accordance with the law.
Case: Crime registered at Cheranalloor police station under Sections 281, 106(1) and 105 of the BNS (crime number not available)
Forum: Juvenile Justice Board, Ernakulam
Date of incident: October 25, 2026