Rights panel orders probe into death of two-wheeler rider in Kochi

The Kerala State Human Rights Commission has registered two suo motu cases on the death of two two-wheeler riders by speeding private buses in Kochi.

The latest case was the death of Muhammed Salim, 42, a resident of Kodungalloor, employed by an online aggregator, after being knocked down by a private bus near the South Kalamassery flyover on Monday. Commission Chairperson Alexander Thomas directed District Police Chief (Kochi City) to assign an officer not less than the rank of an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) to probe the accident to bring the guilty to book and extent maximum punishment.

He urged the authorities to remain alert, function efficiently, and take stringent measures to ensure that no more lives are lost on roads due to speeding private buses. The Commission sought a report from the ACP after looking into aspects like whether a case had been registered against the driver concerned and whether the same bus had been involved in accidents before.

Apart from the registration of criminal cases, actions that can be taken under the Motor Vehicles Act against drivers causing such accidents should be submitted to the Commission. The Commission should also be informed about the details of cases registered by the police in connection with accidents caused by private buses due to overspeeding and reckless driving, and the precautionary measures taken by the police. The Regional Transport Officer (RTO) should submit a separate report. Steps should be taken by the District Collector, RTO, and the Transport Commissioner for the protection of commuters and pedestrians.

Last month, the Commission had taken a suo motu case after a first-year graduate student, Govind P. Shenoy, 18, was fatally knocked down by a speeding private bus at Ernakulam North. In that case, the Ernakulam Town North police had booked the driver with the non-bailable charge of culpable homicide amounting to murder.