Kerala High Court Blocks Arrest of Judge in Fatal Crash Case

At 1 pm, Judge Rino Francis is due back before investigators, but police cannot arrest him for now. The Kerala High Court ordered protection from arrest on Thursday while hearing his request for bail before arrest, saying questioning in custody did not seem necessary. The judge must still answer questions when called, and the court said police must follow Supreme Court guidelines during questioning. ^1,2

That 1 pm appearance follows a fatal crash in Cheranalloor, Kochi, on October 25. Francis’s 17-year-old son allegedly drove his father’s Mercedes-Benz into a scooter, killing 55-year-old rider Jayabalakrishnan. Police named Francis as an accused under a law that can hold a vehicle owner or a young driver’s guardian responsible in some cases. Francis says he did not know his son had taken the car. ^4,8

Francis had already been questioned for more than four hours, his lawyer told the court, and another notice asked him to return. The victim’s family opposed his request for protection and accused him of tampering with evidence, an allegation not proven in court. The judge’s son has been granted bail, but the state is challenging that decision, and the family has joined the challenge. ^13,14

That challenge has its own next step: a court issued notices to the teenager and his parent in the bail cancellation case, with a hearing set for November 13. Meanwhile, a Crime Branch team continues investigating the crash and Francis’s possible responsibility. The High Court’s order protects him from arrest for now; it does not decide whether he or his son committed an offence. ^11,7