Gopika’s family alleges plot to sabotage case, expresses fear of ministerial influence, claims harassment by Sasikala and others

KOCHI: The family of Gopika, who was killed in the Mini Cooper accident in Nedumbassery, alleged that there is a move to sabotage the case and an attempt to save the accused. The family while talking to the media said that even after committing a serious crime, the accused, Suhail Sajeev, was sent to a juvenile home. The family expressed their concern on whether they would get justice.

‘We believe that sending the accused to a juvenile home despite the seriousness of the offence is an attempt to sabotage the case. We are doubtful whether we will get justice. There have been several lapses from the side of the police. We have been told that they are under pressure from higher authorities. The accused is from the constituency of the home minister, and the place has two ministers. We suspect that influence may be used in some way to help him.

My daughter and our entire family are being subjected to vile abuse on social media. People, including Hindu Aikya Vedi leader Sasikala, are insulting us. My daughter was the vice-chairperson of KMM College and a NSS volunteer for more than five years. These attacks appear to be aimed at tarnishing our image. We suspect that people associated with the accused may be behind them.

We came to know that in the FIR, it was not recorded that the accused was under the influence of alcohol. After the postmortem, the body was stitched up, but the stitches were later removed and another blood test was conducted. We suspect that this may have been done to manipulate evidence,’ said Gopika’s father.

Gopika was the daughter of M R Pradeep Kumar, an auto driver from Mullankuzhi House, Nellatt, Karimba, Edakkurissi, Mannarkkad, Palakkad. The other two victims of the accident are Devika, daughter of Santhosh, a writer at Kalyana Mandiram Estate in Madakkimala, Kalpetta, Wayanad, and Iyyas (21), son of Ibrahim of Kanakamanjal House, Coorg, Karnataka.

Suhail Sajeev, son of Sajeev, chairman of the clothing business Iha Designs, and Nooha of Punchappadath, the company’s managing director, is the first accused in the case.