Top News

Kochi | A special team has been formed to nab the accused doctor in a hit-and-run incident that led to the death of a 19-year-old woman whose family later consented to donate her organs in Angamaly, police said on Thursday.

Ernakulam Rural Police Chief K S Sudarshan on Thursday told reporters here that the special team formed to nab the accused is searching for Dr Cyriac, who was allegedly behind the hit-and-run incident that took place on February 28.

Jasliya Johnson, a native of Edavanakkad, suffered serious injuries while she was walking back to her hostel in Angamaly at around 7.30 pm.

She was declared brain dead at a private hospital here on March 3, and her parents consented to donate her liver, kidneys and corneas.

On Wednesday, following the funeral of the deceased, protests were held over the alleged inaction of the police as the accused had been absconding since the accident.

Sudarshan said that following the information that Dr Cyriac was hiding at Elappara in Idukki, a raid was carried out there on Wednesday night.

"It is true that even after searching the residences of people associated with him, we could not arrest the accused. But we have taken stringent action, including registering a case for culpable homicide. We have recovered the vehicle involved in the accident," Sudarshan said.

He said that the initial delay occurred because there were two persons in the vehicle, and time was spent identifying the driver.

"But once we identified the person, stringent steps have been taken. We have taken the initiative to issue a lookout circular so that the accused cannot leave the country," he said.

He said the special team is led by the Aluva DySP, and that the accused is attempting to surrender to a court.

Dr Cyriac was a house surgeon working at a private hospital in Ernakulam.

Police said the car involved in the accident was registered in his father's name, George Thomas.