Thiruvananthapuram: The Keralam government is considering stricter measures against bars that serve alcohol to people below 23, following a fatal Mini Cooper crash near Kochi that killed 3 young people.
Excise Minister M Liju informed the Assembly of the proposed measures on Tuesday while responding to a question raised by Ernakulam MLA T J Vinod about the accident at Nedumbassery on October 11.
The minister said the Excise Department had registered cases against 3 bars for allegedly serving liquor to people below the legal drinking age. He said the government would take stringent action against establishments found violating the rules.
Suhail, 19, a Kochi native who was allegedly driving the car under the influence of alcohol, was arrested after the accident. A case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder was registered against him.
Police also booked his friends Ninav, Ameer and Joel, who were travelling in the car at the time of the crash.
According to police, the speeding Mini Cooper rammed into a scooter, killing 3 people: Devika, from Wayanad; Gopika, from Palakkad; and Iyas, from Karnataka.
What happened in the Mini Cooper crash?
Suhail’s mother had gifted him the luxury car for his birthday. According to police, Suhail and Ninav had consumed alcohol at bars in Kochi and Nedumbassery before Ameer and Joel joined them.
Ameer and Joel had reportedly reached Nedumbassery to pick up a friend arriving at the airport. When the flight was delayed, they joined Suhail for a drive in the Mini Cooper.
Investigators said the 4 occupants allegedly continued drinking despite being heavily intoxicated before setting off in the car.
During evidence collection, Ameer and Joel reportedly told police that the car was travelling at more than 120 kmph when the crash occurred and was on the right side of the road. Police also recovered videos purportedly showing Suhail driving at speeds exceeding 200 kmph on earlier occasions.
According to reports, Suhail told people who gathered at the accident site that his father would handle the case. The remark, along with the circumstances of the crash, drew widespread public criticism.
Family members of Devika have demanded that the police invoke murder charges against the accused.
The accused were produced before a court and remanded to the Borstal School in Thrikkakara, a residential detention facility.
‘No compromise’, says Excise Minister
“The state government will not compromise on this issue under any circumstances,” Liju told the Assembly.
He said the Excise Department acted promptly after the incident came to his attention and that he had instructed senior officials to take immediate action.
The minister said the government was considering stricter guidelines to prevent bars from serving alcohol to people below 23.
“The government will take strong and more stringent action against bars in the state that serve alcohol to people below the age of 23,” he said.
Liju said several road accidents in the state had been caused by people driving under the influence of alcohol and other intoxicating substances.
“Many lives have been lost due to such irresponsible driving,” he said.
The minister noted that the existing Abkari Act provided for action against bars that served liquor to people below the legal drinking age. The government was considering further measures to strengthen enforcement, he added.
The Excise Department has registered cases against 3 bars in connection with the incident, alleging that they served liquor to Suhail and Ninav, both under 23. The establishments are located in Vyttila, Palarivattom, and Nedumbassery.
