Chakkaraparambu accident: Six, including hotel owner, arrested

Search for digital video recorder allegedly dumped from bridge turns futile

More than a fortnight after the tragic accident that killed three persons, including two promising models instantaneously, at Chakkaraparambu, the city police on Wednesday arrested six persons, including the owner of the Fort Kochi-based hotel where the victims had reportedly partied late into the night just hours before speeding to their deaths.

Roy J. Vayalat, owner of the hotel No 18, was arrested under IPC Section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence) after he was summoned for interrogation for the second straight day. Additional Commissioner K.P. Philip, who is holding the charge of District Police Chief (Kochi City), issued the relevant orders after day-long interrogation. The other five arrested were identified as K.K. Anil, Wilson Reynold, M.B. Melvyn, G.A. Sijulal, and Vishnukumar. They were reportedly IT technicians and employees engaged by the hotel.

“The owner could not produce some missing CCTV footage while his employees had also given a statement to the effect that he had asked them to delete it. Cyber cell officials aided by technicians had examined the hotel and drawn up the list of missing items,” said Mr. Philip.