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Kerala High Court allows case against judge over crash

By Drooid · Oct 26, 2026, 4:10 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Kerala High Court Allows

Kerala High Court permitted police to file a case against an Additional District and Sessions Judge.
The judge’s 17-year-old son drove a Mercedes-Benz that killed 55-year-old Jayabalakrishnan near Cheranalloor at 2 am.
Police charged the teen under Section 106 BNS, then added Section 105 BNS for culpable homicide.
Police booked the judge under Section 199A of the Motor Vehicles Act as the vehicle’s owner.

Summary

Teen Drivers Kill

The Kochi collision follows two recent Kerala crashes where under-age luxury-car drivers killed three each.
On October 11, a 19-year-old in a Mini-Cooper struck a scooter, killing three youths.
Days earlier, a 19-year-old in an over-speeding luxury car caused the Nedumbassery crash, killing three.
Police said heavy rain during the Kochi collision may have impaired vehicle control.
Jayabalakrishnan supported his family by operating a roadside eatery in South Chittoor.

History

Historical Context

The 1995 Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, passed by the Indian Parliament, introduced Section 199A holding vehicle owners criminally liable for fatal crashes. Section 199A authorizes courts, such as the Kerala High Court, to levy fines up to INR5,000 and imprisonment of two years for negligent owners. Today, Kerala police charged an Additional District and Sessions Judge and his 17-year-old son under Section 199A after the Mercedes-Benz crash that killed Jayabalakrishnan. The precedent signals stricter enforcement of owner responsibility, urging courts nationwide to pursue similar prosecutions and prompting policymakers to consider harsher penalties for under-age luxury-car drivers.

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Kerala High Court Allows

Kerala High Court permitted police to file a case against an Additional District and Sessions Judge.
The judge’s 17-year-old son drove a Mercedes-Benz that killed 55-year-old Jayabalakrishnan near Cheranalloor at 2 am.
Police charged the teen under Section 106 BNS, then added Section 105 BNS for culpable homicide.
Police booked the judge under Section 199A of the Motor Vehicles Act as the vehicle’s owner.

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