Shibin of Chenam in Kerala's Thrissur district who had on Tuesday morning rammed his Suzuki Swift car into a 20-year-old girl and five others injuring all of them at Arimbur near Thrissur was arrested on Wednesday night. His father Surendran has also been taken into custody.
Shibin and Surendran, who had gone into hiding after the incident, were held from a lodge in Pazhani, Tamil Nadu. The police, who had identified their hideout by following the signals of their mobile phones, said the young man was a drug abuser and had admitted to using narcotic substances for the past three years.
He had carried out the attack in a bid to kill the girl, a B.Com student, because she had spurned his advances. Shibin admitted to the police that he had tried to knock her down with his car as he had prior knowledge that she would be visiting the temple at Kovil Road in Arimbur on Tuesday morning. He rammed the car into her after his bid to stab her failed.
Shibin is reported to have told the police that he rammed his car for a second time into the girl after his first attempt failed. It was in this second attempt that four women and a student were hit when they were trying to help the injured girl. While there was improvement in the girl's condition, two of the other injured were still in a critical condition.
The police charged Shibin with attempt to murder but were yet to record the arrest of his father, Surendran. However, sources said that he would be charged with helping the accused to escape. Shibin had abandoned the car at a nearby place after committing the crime and he and Surendran went into hiding after the police intensified the search.
The incident took place at Kovil Road around in Arimbur at 9.30 AM Tuesday. Shibin hit the girl, who was returning home after offering prayers at a temple, with the car which was at breakneck speed. The car sped away after hitting her when six women and Rahul (21) came from the neighbouring houses to the scene after hearing the girl's cries.
But Shibin returned with the car just when the neighbours were trying to help the girl and rammed it into all of them. As the car advanced, two of the women saved themselves by running away but the others did not get time for that. Shibin escaped the scene quickly as more people gathered.
Arimbur, where Wednesday's incident took place, is just 17 kilometres from Puzhakkal, where controversial businessman Muhammad Nisham had attacked Chandrabose, security guard of a posh villa complex, by ramming his Hummer SUV into him several times on January 29. Chandrabose died in a private hospital on February 16.