Two people were killed in a traffic accident in Kerala

KSRTC managing director Biju Prabhakar said the driver has been suspended and an investigation has been ordered.

After images of his suspected reckless driving circulated on social media, Kerala police detained a state road transport company (KSRTC) driver in connection with the killing motorbike-borne youngsters in Palakkad on February 7.

According to the authorities, passengers on the ill-fated bus also stated that the driver had an incident with the youngsters prior to the accident. Adarsh Mohan (23) and P Sabith (23), both students at a college in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, were killed on Monday in Palakkad after their motorcycle was wedged between a speeding government bus and a truck, according to police.

We have charged the driver (CL Ousep) with rash and reckless driving and culpable homicide under sections 279 and 304 of the Indian Penal Code, respectively (IPC). More sections would be added after the investigation is completed,” said sub-inspector S Suresh, who is probing the case.

The pictures of his reckless driving that circulated on social media encouraged the police to look into the matter further, which led to detention, according to a police official.

The truck driver, named as Nagaraju, an Andhra Pradesh native, was initially detained by the police, but he was discharged on Thursday. Ousep overtook the truck from the wrong side (left), and the bus moved to the right, narrowing the distance between the truck and the bike, causing the youngsters to fall under the bus, according to CCTV footage recovered from the crime scene. According to a top police official in the district, the dash camera of a nearby car captured images of the crash.

Passengers on the bus also criticised Ousep, according to the police, who have been asked to give their testimony.

They allegedly told police that the claimed reckless driving had been questioned by the youth, which enraged Ousep. According to the authorities, one of the passengers also said that the driver purposefully took the incorrect turn to terrify the youth, which resulted in their deaths.

The victims’ families have urged a thorough investigation. P Mohanan, the father of one of the victims, said the driver should be charged with murder under Section 302 of the IPC, and that if the police fail to do so, he will go to the Kerala high court.

The driver has been suspended and an investigation has been launched, according to KSRTC managing director Biju Prabhakar.

“We’ve already started an investigation, and if any flaws are found, we’ll take harsh punishment against the driver,” state transportation minister Antony Raju said.