Kerala Mini Cooper crash: Viral reels, a birthday gift and a case that has ignited outrage

AKD 5 min read

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Viral social media posts are now being examined by the police as potential evidence of a pattern of rash and negligent driving, and have become the emotional core of the case.

What do you get a 19-year-old boy as a birthday present? Well, in a case involving drunk driving and the death of three people, a MINI Cooper – a two-door hatchback that costs between Rs 44 and Rs 60 lakh and has a top speed of over 200 km per hour.

That incident near the Kochi airport – in which Suhail Sajeev was allegedly driving the car after drinking at two bars and was on his way to a third – has become a national flashpoint, particularly after clips from his social media account began to be shared.

One of the videos reportedly shows his mother giving him the MINI Cooper. According to reports she runs a prominent design studio with offices in Kochi and Alappuzha. And, in a Facebook post, she said she was presenting the MINI Cooper to Suhail Sajeev as a birthday gift. The video went viral after Sunday’s incident.

The car presentation video begins with the mother addressing the camera – in Malayalam – inside the house. “I have happy news to share,” she begins beaming with pride. “My younger son wanted a car… he already has one.”

“But from his childhood this (the MINI) has been his dream car. It was his birthday in December and we weren’t able to give it to him then. But now it has come.”

The scene then shifts to an elevator going down to the parking lot and the mother introducing the car: “It’s everyone’s favourite! The MINI Cooper.” And the video then shows a smiling Sajeev hugging his mother, who proclaims, “He’s a bodybuilder too.”

There were other clips that Sajeev reportedly shared on his Instagram account – which has now been wiped clean – in which he was allegedly speeding down roads. The Indian Express could not independently verify any of these videos.

Three young people – a man and two women, each 21 years old and working part-time at a showroom near the airport – stepped out for a tea break. Minutes later they were dead; the scooter was run over by the MINI Cooper allegedly with Sajeev – who police have said was drunk – at the wheel. The scooter and its riders were then dragged for over 100 metres, the police said. And finally, to underline the horror of the incident, Sajeev reportedly told locals his father would ‘handle’ matters.

On this point, though, there is some confusion, with Malayalam news outlets suggesting it was one of Sajeev’s friends in the car – Ninav, also 19 years old – who made this statement.

Either way, on Monday, the other three – Ninav, Ameer and Joyal – all of whom fled after the crash were also arrested and charged with abetting Sajeev to drive while drunk.

Police said Ninav had been with Sajeev since noon, when they allegedly began drinking. The cops said they can prove he was drunk when driving the MINI Cooper.

Bar CCTV (police): They have collected evidence from the bars, including CCTV footage, and can prove Sajeev was drunk while driving. “We have collected evidence from the bars, including CCTV visuals.” — BK Arun, Kochi Airport Police Station
Drinking since noon (police): Ninav had been with Sajeev since noon, when they allegedly began drinking.
An admission (reported): Reports indicate Sajeev confessed he had been drinking before the crash.
Speed (police said / reported): 125 km/h reported speed on Sunday; 218 km/h earlier recorded speed, police say.
Social media clips (being examined): Clips allegedly showing him speeding, posted to an Instagram account since wiped clean, are being examined as evidence of a pattern of rash driving. The Indian Express could not verify them.
“Father will handle it” (disputed): Reports say Sajeev told locals his father would handle matters. Malayalam news outlets suggest it was his friend Ninav who said it.

Source: Police statements and media reports, as reported by The Indian Express. Allegations have not been tested in court.

“We have collected evidence from the bars, including CCTV visuals,” BK Arun, an officer at the Kochi Airport Police Station said, “He was going to the airport.”

Reports also indicate Sajeev confessed he had been drinking before the crash.

Meanwhile, the families of those who were killed have demanded Sajeev be charged with culpable homicide instead of facing the ‘death caused by negligence’ charge.

Sandeep, a family member of Devika, one of the two women killed, responded angrily to news that Suhail Sajeev had been sent to a youth detention centre rather than jail.

“We believe it was a deliberate act. We are pained to hear Suhail was sent to borstal school instead of a normal prison. How can a 19-year-old killer be treated in such a manner, rubbing salt into our wounds? Devika was the only hope of her four-member family. She was planning to fly abroad after her ongoing aviation course.”

The other two people killed were Iyas from Karnataka and Gopika from Kerala’s Palakkad. All three were in college and worked part-time to earn a living.

Police said Sajeev had a history of overspeeding, including one incident in which he was recorded driving at 218 km per hour and tried to escape by name-dropping his businessman father. He was reportedly driving at 125 km per hour on Sunday.

These posts are now being examined by the police as potential evidence of a pattern of rash and negligent driving, and have become the emotional core of the case.

This is a heartbreaking incident on its own and for similarities to others involving young people and expensive cars, including the Pune Porsche crash of May 2024. In that incident a 17-year-old boy allegedly rammed a Porsche Taycan electric supercar – it costs Rs 1.7 to Rs 2.75 crore and has a top speed of over 230 km per hour – into a bike. He too had reportedly been drinking and two people died in that crash.

Note on the source: The article itself flags several unverified/disputed elements — the Instagram clips could not be independently verified, and the “father will handle it” quote is attributed to Sajeev by some reports but to his friend Ninav by Malayalam outlets. Keep those caveats if you republish.