Kochi, Nov 5 — In another setback to the family of the 55-year-old man killed in a road accident involving a Mercedes-Benz car driven by a judge's minor son, a court in Kerala's Ernakulam on Thursday refused to cancel the anticipatory bail earlier granted to the juvenile.
The decision came despite strong objections from the prosecution and pleas by the deceased man's family, who had sought cancellation of the bail.
The court made it clear that the law relating to juveniles was unambiguous and that the provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act had to be followed.
It also came down heavily on attempts to view the case without taking into account the special legal safeguards governing children in conflict with the law.
Before passing its order, the court asked the police to submit a report within an hour on whether similar charges had been invoked in other cases in the district.
When the court reassembled an hour later, the police informed it that there were nine such cases.
The victim's family had strongly opposed the continuation of accused's bail, hoping that the court would reconsider the relief granted to the juvenile.
However, the court declined to interfere with the earlier order.
The development came on a day when the father of the juvenile, a judicial officer, also secured anticipatory bail from another court in connection with the same accident case.
The 55-year-old roadside eatery owner was ran over by the Mercedes-Benz car in the early hours of the day while returning home after closing his eatery last month.
The deceased man's daughter expressed deep disappointment over Thursday's developments in both courts.
She said the family was at a loss to understand what was happening and felt that ordinary people were finding it increasingly difficult to get justice.
For the victim's family, the two court decisions on the same day have come as a major blow in its continuing fight for justice.