Kochi, 25 Oct (H.S.): A roadside food stall operator was killed when a Mercedes-Benz allegedly driven by a judge’s 17-year-old son struck his scooter at Cheranelloor around 3 am on Sunday,police said.

The victim, identified as Jayabalakrishnan, a native of Manjali, was returning home after closing his stall when the collision occurred. The impact threw him off his scooter.

Police suspect that the luxury car was speeding. Their preliminary assessment indicated that the vehicle was being driven rashly and dangerously when it hit the scooter.

According to the information available, the teenager is the son of Irinjalakuda Additional Judge Rino Francis. The car is registered in the judge’s name.

Police have registered a case against the teenager, invoking provisions relating to rash driving and culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The allegation of excessive speed remains part of the preliminary police assessment.

The fatal collision comes after another luxury car accident at Nedumbassery, bringing renewed attention to dangerous driving in the Kochi area. In the Cheranelloor incident, the driver’s age and the ownership of the vehicle have also come into focus.

Meanwhile, Jayabalakrishnan’s relatives alleged that the judge reacted angrily when they visited his house seeking information about the accident.

His niece, Jayalakshmi, said the family had approached the judge to ask about the circumstances surrounding the collision that claimed her uncle’s life.

According to her, the judge rebuked them and said: “You need not come here to question me.”

Jayalakshmi said the family would pursue the case. Her account of the interaction with the judge is an allegation made by the victim’s relatives.

The case centres on the circumstances in which the teenager was driving the car and the collision that killed Jayabalakrishnan as he travelled home after work. Police have initially attributed the accident to rash and dangerous driving, with speeding suspected.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman