Representative image. Captain, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Why it matters
The state government has moved the police chief of Kerala's biggest city over the handling of a fatal crash in which a judge's son is accused, after an inquiry reportedly found lapses. The case also shows how the law on minors driving works: the guardian or vehicle owner can be prosecuted, the car can lose its registration and the minor can be barred from a licence until 25.
The Kerala government removed Kochi police commissioner S. Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar on 28 October 2026, three days after a Mercedes-Benz allegedly driven by a judicial officer’s 17-year-old son killed a scooter rider at Cheranalloor in Kochi. South Zone Inspector General R. Nishanthini takes over as Kochi City Police Commissioner, the news agency IANS, Onmanorama and Manorama News reported. The change came on the direction of Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, according to those reports, a day after four officers at the Cheranalloor police station were suspended over the handling of the case.
Why the Kochi police commissioner was moved
The reshuffle follows criticism of how police handled the teenager’s case in the first hours after the Cheranalloor accident. Onmanorama reported that the Home Department issued the order on 28 October and that Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar had not been given a new posting as of that day. P. Prakash, the Inspector General in charge of the State Crime Records Bureau (SCRB), is to replace Nishanthini as South Zone IG, according to Onmanorama, Asianet News and Kerala Kaumudi.
The move follows a preliminary inquiry by Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) P. Vijayan, who visited the Cheranalloor accident site, went through police records and met the victim’s family, IANS reported. Kerala Kaumudi said the inquiry found serious lapses. On the evening of 27 October the government suspended four personnel of the Cheranalloor station: a circle inspector, the station house officer, a grade assistant sub-inspector and a senior civil police officer.
Discontent continued over the lack of action against senior officers, Kerala Kaumudi reported. Asianet News said a delay in searching the family’s flat, after police had been told to do so, was also cited against the commissioner. Onmanorama quoted officials as saying the department’s image suffered because the judge was not named as an accused at once, even though the law on accidents by minors points to the guardian or the registered owner.
The Kerala Legislative Assembly is in session, and Chennithala had assured the House that officials found responsible would face action, IANS reported. Asianet News said the minister publicly accepted that there had been a police lapse.
What happened in the Cheranalloor accident
Jayabalakrishnan, 55, who ran a roadside eatery, was riding his scooter on Container Road at Cheranalloor in the early hours of Sunday, 25 October, when a Mercedes-Benz hit him, according to IANS, The Federal and Deccan Chronicle. He died. Police say the car was being driven by a 17-year-old boy. The car is registered in the name of the boy’s father, a judge, and the boy had no driving licence, The Federal reported.
NewsPlainly is not naming the boy, his father or the family’s home town. The Juvenile Justice Act bars publishing any detail that could identify a child in conflict with the law, and naming a parent would do that.
At first the teenager was booked for rash driving and causing death by negligence (section 106(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, or BNS, India’s main criminal code) and released on station bail the same day, according to IANS and The Federal. The victim’s children, local residents and activists then held a sit-in outside the Cheranalloor station. Late that night police took the boy back into custody and produced him before the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) in Ernakulam. The Juvenile Justice Board, which handles cases of children accused of offences, granted him bail, The Federal and Deccan Chronicle reported.
The case was later made more serious. Police invoked BNS section 105, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, after senior officers stepped in, according to The Federal; the news agency ANI said the change came after evidence pointed to overspeeding. The boy’s father was booked under section 199A of the Motor Vehicles Act, Bar and Bench reported on 27 October. The Federal said this followed the Kerala High Court allowing police to proceed against the judicial officer.
The investigation has since been handed to the Crime Branch, IANS reported. On the night of 27 October investigators searched the family’s flat, collected CCTV (security camera) footage and took digital devices, according to IANS and Manorama News. All of these are accusations under investigation. No court has found anyone guilty.
Timeline: 25 to 28 October
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 25 October, early hours | Scooter rider Jayabalakrishnan, 55, killed on Container Road, Cheranalloor; police say a 17-year-old was driving the car |
| 25 October, day | Teenager booked for death by negligence and released on station bail; protests at the police station |
| 25 to 26 October, night | Teenager taken back into custody, produced before the JJB in Ernakulam and granted bail |
| 26 October | ADGP P. Vijayan visits the family as part of a preliminary inquiry |
| By 26 October, evening | BNS section 105 invoked; the father, who owns the car, booked under Motor Vehicles Act section 199A after the High Court allowed proceedings |
| 27 October, evening | Four Cheranalloor station personnel suspended |
| 27 October, night | Crime Branch searches the family’s flat, collects CCTV footage and devices |
| 28 October | Commissioner S. Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar removed; R. Nishanthini named Kochi City Police Commissioner |
What section 199A says about minors who drive
Section 199A was added to the Motor Vehicles Act in 2019 to deal with offences by juveniles, that is, people under 18. It applies to offences under the Motor Vehicles Act itself, such as driving without a licence. The culpable homicide charge in this case is under the BNS and is a separate matter. Here is what section 199A says, in plain words, as listed on the text of section 199A:
- The adult is treated as guilty. When a juvenile commits an offence under the Act, the guardian or the owner of the vehicle is deemed guilty and can be prosecuted and punished.
- There is a defence. The guardian or owner escapes punishment by proving the offence happened without their knowledge or that they took all due care to prevent it. The court starts from the presumption that the juvenile used the vehicle with their consent.
- Extra penalty. On top of that, the guardian or owner can be jailed for up to three years and fined ₹25,000.
- The vehicle loses its registration for 12 months.
- No licence until 25. The juvenile cannot get a learner’s licence or a driving licence until the age of 25.
- Exception. The guardian or owner provisions do not apply if the juvenile held a learner’s or driving licence for that kind of vehicle. The Federal reported that the boy had no driving licence.
The juvenile can also be fined under the Act, and any custodial sentence may be modified under the juvenile justice law. This is what the law provides. Whether section 199A applies to the father in the Cheranalloor accident case is for the investigation and the courts to decide.
What happens next in the Cheranalloor case
As the new Kochi police commissioner, Nishanthini takes charge while the Crime Branch investigation continues. The victim’s family plans to approach the Kerala High Court seeking further action, IANS and Manorama News reported; the reports read by NewsPlainly up to 28 October did not give a filing date. The Federal reported that police planned to ask the Ernakulam district sessions court to cancel the teenager’s bail.
The four officers are suspended pending further inquiry, IANS reported. NewsPlainly earlier explained the proposed changes to driving licence rules, including a higher test pass mark.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the new Kochi City Police Commissioner?
R. Nishanthini, who was South Zone Inspector General, replaces S. Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar, according to reports of the order issued on 28 October 2026.
Why was the Kochi police commissioner removed?
Reports say the Home Minister directed the change after an ADGP inquiry found lapses in how police handled the Cheranalloor accident, in which a judge's 17-year-old son is accused of driving the car that killed a scooter rider.
What does section 199A of the Motor Vehicles Act say?
If a juvenile commits an offence under the Act, the guardian or vehicle owner is deemed guilty unless they prove it happened without their knowledge or despite due care. They face up to three years in jail and a ₹25,000 fine, the vehicle's registration is cancelled for 12 months, and the juvenile cannot get a licence until 25.
Has the teenager been granted bail?
The Juvenile Justice Board in Ernakulam granted him bail on the night of the crash, The Federal and Deccan Chronicle reported. The Federal said police planned to seek its cancellation at the district sessions court.