The family of the victim in the Kochi Mercedes hit-and-run case has expressed disappointment over the Kerala High Court’s decision to grant anticipatory bail to the judge who is the father of the minor accused. Victim’s daughter Bhadrakeerthi has also accused the judge and his family of tampering with evidence.
“We have learnt that the parents spent several hours at the crime scene, and we are sure they tampered with the evidence. They have done everything to protect their son,” she alleged in an interview with NDTV.
The Additional District and Sessions Judge, who serves at a court in Irinjalakuda in Kerala’s Thrissur district, secured anticipatory bail from the Kerala High Court on Thursday, days after he was named an accused in the case.
The judge’s 17-year-old son allegedly rammed his speeding Mercedes-Benz into the scooter of 55-year-old Jayabalakrishnan in the early hours of Sunday, killing him on the spot. The car was registered in the judge’s name and was allegedly being driven by his minor son.
“We had pinned our hopes on the High Court. The bail decision is disappointing,” Jayabalakrishnan’s daughter, Bhadrakeerthi, told NDTV hours after the court order.
#BreakingGround with @vedikas | Kochi hit-and-run case: “He is getting away with it just because he is a judge,” alleges the deceased man’s daughter in an exclusive interview with NDTV. https://t.co/658wm83xpG
— NDTV (@ndtv) October 29, 2026
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“There is evidence against the judge and his son, but the law is still supporting him. Why? Just because he is a judge? Would an ordinary person get the same privilege?” she asked, sitting beside her brother, Bharath.
Jayabalakrishnan’s family has been fighting for justice and demanding the judge’s arrest, alleging that he and the police attempted to cover up the case to protect the accused.
“It’s clear that he is getting preferential treatment because he is a judge. We have all the evidence, yet he is evading the law. A common person would be treated very differently,” Bhadrakeerthi said, expressing her disappointment.
In his plea before the High Court, the judge claimed that his son had taken the car out without his knowledge and argued that he could not be held liable for an offence he was unaware of.
Questioning the judge’s version of events, Bhadrakeerthi said he had earlier claimed that his son learnt to drive by watching YouTube videos. She also alleged that several videos showing the teenager driving at high speeds had been posted on his social media accounts before being deleted.
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“The judge said he was unaware that his son had driven the car. He also said his son learnt to drive by watching YouTube videos. Is this believable?” she asked.
Following the accident, the teenager reportedly claimed that he had taken the vehicle out for the “first time” and learnt to drive by watching YouTube videos.
However, independent checks of the teenager’s social media presence, along with accounts from police sources, appeared to contradict the claim that he was a novice driver taking the car out for the first time. Before the crash, the minor reportedly operated a public Instagram account with more than 2,500 followers, where he regularly posted driving reels.
Sources said several videos showed him driving the same Mercedes-Benz at speeds of up to 200 kmph. Within hours of Sunday’s crash, all posts on the account were deleted and the profile was switched to private.
Despite describing the bail order as a setback, Bhadrakeerthi vowed to continue her fight for justice.
“My father was not a judge; he was a common man, but he taught us good values in life. That’s why we are still fighting for justice,” she told NDTV, her voice heavy with emotion.
Jayabalakrishnan was the sole breadwinner of his family. He was returning home after finishing work at his small street-food stall, which he had run for 30 years to support his family and fund the education of his three children, when the luxury sedan struck his scooter on his regular route home.
