Mercedes crash: Kerala court to hold in-camera hearing of appeals against bail granted to accused minor

A sessions court in Kerala on Monday decided to hold in-camera hearings of the appeals against the bail granted to the minor accused of driving a Mercedes-Benz car and killing a scooterist.

The 17-year-old accused, the son of an additional district judge, was driving a Mercedes-Benz car when he hit a two-wheeler in Kochi's Cheranalloor in the early hours of October 25, killing the scooterist, one Jayabalakrishnan.

Ernakulam Additional District and Sessions Judge Kavitha Gangadharan on Saturday criticised the police for not acting against social media posts that revealed the minor's identity.

Section 74 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, prohibits the disclosure of the identity of a child in conflict with law (CCL), except with the permission of the competent authority.

The Court had, therefore, directed the cyber police to take action against all posts revealing the teenager's identity.

When the appeals moved by the State and the victim's family against the bail granted to the minor was taken up today, the Court deemed it fit to continue the hearing in-camera, to further ensure the privacy of the Child in Conflict with the Law (CCL).

The accused teenager was initially booked for the offences of rash driving and causing death by negligence under Sections 281 and 106(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS). The accused teenager was granted bail by the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) on October 26.

After continued protests by the victim's family and local residents, the police added more serious offences punishable under Section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) BNS read with Sections 181, 183, 199A(1) and 199A(2) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (MVA).

The FIR also named the father of the teenager, an additional district judge who is currently posted at the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) at Iranjalakuda in Thrissur district, as a co-accused.