Accidents tribunal awards 1.15 crore to survivor in Chorod hit-and-run case

The Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal, Vadakara, has directed an insurance coverage firm to pay ₹1.15 crore as compensation to nine-year-old Drishana, who has been in a coma for round a yr after a devastating hit-and-run accident at Chorod in February 2024, following which her grandmother Puthalath Baby additionally misplaced her life.

This ruling might present an important monetary lifeline for the continued, intensive medical look after Drishana. The police had recognized the accused as Methil Punathil Shajeel, a resident of Purameri. The automobile concerned was traced to a white Maruti Suzuki Swift with registration quantity KL 18 R 1846. Shajeel was apprehended by the police on the Coimbatore International Airport in February 2025, although he had reportedly fled to Dubai after the incident.

The District Crime Branch submitted a chargesheet on February 15, 2025, on the Vadakara Judicial First Class Magistrate Court. The prison proceedings towards the accused, Shajeel, are persevering with within the Vadakara court docket. Shajeel is at the moment out on bail, dealing with prices below sections of the Indian Penal Code, together with culpable murder and inflicting grievous harm.

The accident had occurred when Drishana and Baby had been crossing the street after alighting from a bus. A dashing automobile hit each of them, killing Baby on the spot. Drishana, a Class 5 scholar, slipped right into a coma after struggling extreme head accidents.