Juvenile Justice Board grants bail to juvenile driver in Cheranalloor Kerala fatal car accident

Forensic officials are collecting evidence from a car that was involved in a fatal accident at Cheranalloor in Kochi on Sunday that killed a 55-year-old scooter rider. | Photo credit: THULASI KAKKAT

The Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) has granted bail to a 17-year-old youth who allegedly caused the death of a man after the luxury car he was driving rammed into the victim’s scooter on Sunday (October 25, 2026).

The Cheranalloor police produced the teenager before the JJB in the wee hours of Monday (October 26, 2026). Absence of any previous offenses was one of the grounds for granting bail. The decision fell short among protesters demanding his arrest, who also sought legal action against the boy’s father, a court clerk and the registered owner of the car involved in the crash.

Also Read: Fatal luxury car accident: Keralam judge booked under MV Act as registered owner of vehicle driven by minor son

After initially releasing the teenager on bail at the station, the police took him into custody from his residence following intense protests organized by the victim’s family and various political and youth organizations outside the Cheranalloor police station late on Sunday.

The deceased was identified as Jayabalakrishnan, 55, of Chittur, Cheranalloor. He was returning after closing his canteen in Chittur and succumbed to his injuries on the spot. The accident took place around 2:20 am near a car showroom in Maraparambu on Container Road in Cheranalloor. According to the FIR, the boy was driving alone in a car from Vallarpadam towards Kalamassery when he hit a scooter moving in the same direction.

According to a preliminary medical examination, the boy was not under the influence of alcohol, police said. This was the second road accident involving a juvenile driver in Kochi in a fortnight.

The boy was initially released on bail from the police station under Section 8 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. The minor driver was booked under Sections 281 and 106(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for reckless driving causing death by rash or negligent culpability.

Later in the day, the police added Section 105 of the BNS, which prescribes punishment for manslaughter not amounting to murder, to the FIR. The section was added amid protests and criticism leveled at the police for releasing the accused on bail.

The accident occurred days after three youths died when a speeding luxury car driven by a 19-year-old allegedly crashed into the two-wheeler they were riding near Nedumbassera.

Published – 26 Oct 2026 09:33 IST