KOCHI: Senior IPS officer Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar, who was recently transferred from the post of Kochi City Police Commissioner, has said that neither the Additional District Judge involved in the Cheranelloor Mercedes-Benz accident case in which one person was killed, nor anyone else had spoken to him in connection with the incident.
On Friday after the transfer was effected, Kaliraj said he had not interfered in the investigation or any of the subsequent proceedings.
He maintained that he had no role in the handling of the case.
Describing the transfer as part of government service, he said he had accepted the order wholeheartedly.
He also pointed out that the higher authorities had not communicated any specific reason for his transfer.
The accident, which occurred around 2.20 a.m. on October 25 on Container Road at Cheranelloor near Kochi, involved a Mercedes-Benz allegedly driven by the 17-year-old son of an Additional District Judge.
The car rammed into a scooter ridden by Jayabalakrishnan, 55, a native of Manjali, who died on the spot.
The victim was returning home after closing his roadside eatery near Chittoor temple.
The case triggered widespread controversy over its handling by the police, particularly after the teenager was initially released on station bail following his detention.
He was subsequently taken into custody again amid mounting criticism, while the Juvenile Justice Board later granted him bail.
The boy's father, an Additional District Judge posted at the Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal in Irinjalakuda, was also named as an accused in the case.
The Kerala High Court subsequently stayed his arrest while directing him to cooperate with the investigation.
The investigation came under scrutiny amid allegations of preferential treatment and questions over possible influence in the case.
The victim's family also raised concerns over the police action.
Kaliraj, who had earned a reputation for taking firm action against criminal gangs and drug networks in Kochi, has refrained from making any allegations against anyone over his transfer.