71-yr-old's hit-and-run turns out to be case of murder in Kerala; four arrested
KALPETTA: Beeyumma was believed to have died in a hit-and-run. Now, residents of Meppadi are in shock from fresh revelations that a road-rage incident over a scooter overtaking a four-wheeler led to the murder of the 71-year-old.
While relatives, locals, and even police were convinced that the Nellimunda ward resident had died in a road accident, later revelations by Beeyumma's grandson, 19-year-old Aflah, who was severely injured in the incident, on June 8, proved a turning point in the case.
Based on further investigations, which also relied on CCTV footage, and the statements of eyewitnesses, including Aflah, Aramanganam, Kasaragod natives Akhil Kallingal, 26, Prashanth Puthiyavalappu, 21, Nidhi Pachillankara, 20, and Nithin Narayanan, 22, and a 17-year-old minor boy were slapped with murder charges, five days after the incident.
Four of them were arrested on Friday, while the minor will be presented before the Juvenile Justice Board on Saturday.
'We thought it was a hit-and run accident. Beeyumma died on the spot. When Aflah, who was severely injured and undergoing treatment in hospital, regained consciousness he muttered, 'They hit us deliberately,'' said Shihab C, a Nellimunda resident and relative of Beeyumma.
The youngsters from Kasaragod were on their way to Chooralmala in a Bolero -- under the influence of alcohol -- after attending the Kottiyoor temple festival.
Beeyumma and Aflah were also proceeding to Chooralmala on a scooter. They entered the main road from Mappilathottam and overtook the Bolero, which led to a verbal argument between occupants of both vehicles. In a fit of rage, the youths chased the scooter and rammed it from behind. Meppadi police SHO A U Jayaprakash said Beeyumma died after being run over by the Bolero, while Aflah was deliberately dragged some distance by the four-wheeler.
'Akhil, who was driving the vehicle, was arrested on the day of the accident. But he was charged under Section 304A of BNS (causing death by negligence). Akhil was drunk at the time of the crime. Later, after an investigation, we found that it was a case of murder with others in the Bolero also involved. They were also arrested,' said Jayaprakash.
'There were five bottles of beer and other liquor bottles in the Bolero. All of the passengers in the vehicle are equally guilty. If any one of them had tried to restrain Akhil, who was driving the vehicle, Beeyumma and Aflah would not have suffered this fate,' added Shihab.
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