Malayalam Veteran Actor Maniyanpilla Raju Arrested For Rash Driving In Hit-And-Run Case

Malayalam

actor Maniyanpilla Raju has been booked in a hit-and-run case. On Thursday night, two boys from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, were injured in the accident. According to an initial report, the actor's car hit a motorcycle near Trivandrum Club before speeding away from the spot. After being unreachable for almost 10 hours following the accident, Raju appeared before the Museum police on Friday morning to record his statement in the hit-and-run case. The two boys injured in the accident were identified as 20-year-olds Sooraj and Nivedith Krishna. They’re receiving treatment for leg, shoulder, and head injuries at a private hospital.

Maniyanpilla Raju's statement to cops

In his statement to the police, Maniyanpilla confirmed having hit the motorcycle and fled from the accident spot. The actor told reporters that he panicked after the accident and returned home. Citing health issues of being a cancer survivor and suffering from chikungunya, he was unable to help the injured boys at that moment.

FIR registered against Raju

As per Onmanorama, an FIR has been registered at the Museum police station after the accident occurred at around 9.30 pm on February 5, when a car bearing registration number KL 01 CJ 0004 allegedly hit a Royal Enfield motorcycle carrying two youths. The FIR claimed that the car was being driven in a rash and negligent manner after exiting the Trivandrum Club. It also accuses the veteran actor of not providing first aid to the injured and not informing the police or other authorities before fleeing the scene. A case has been registered under Sections 281 and 125(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Sections 134(A) and 134(B) of the Motor Vehicles Act against Sudheer Kumar Raju, who uses Maniyanpilla Raju as his screen name. According to The Hindu’s report, the accident reportedly happened after the actor left the club and attempted a sudden U-turn towards Kowdiar. This led to a collision with a motorcycle travelling in the same direction.

Maniyanpilla Raju arrested

As per the latest development, IANS reported that Maniyanpilla Raju has been arrested for rash and negligent driving and for not stopping his vehicle after the accident. A tweet on X had the Thiruvananthapuram Police’s statement that also said, “He has been taken for a medical examination, and if alcohol is detected in his blood test, additional charges will be added.” Maniyanpilla Raju started his acting career in 1976 with the Malayalam film Mohiniyaattam with Adoor Bhasi, Lakshmi, T. R. Omana and Nilambur Balan.