In a significant development in the hit-and-run case that claimed the life of Jasliya Johnson, a 19-year-old BCom student at Morning Star College, Angamaly police have arrested the accused, Dr Cyriac P George. The arrest came six days after Jasliya succumbed to severe head injuries she sustained in the crash on February 28.
The incident occurred near a junction on the national highway in Angamaly. According to the police, Jasliya was returning to her hostel from a part-time job at a pizza shop when a speeding vehicle driven by Dr Cyriac P George, a house surgeon at a private medical college, hit her around 7:30 pm.
Jasliya’s death on March 3 sparked widespread outrage, with her classmates staging protests in Ernakulam over the delay in arresting the main suspect. Aluva Rural Superintendent of Police KS Sudarshan confirmed that a special team was formed on March 5 to investigate the case.
“We conducted searches at the accused’s house and the houses of his relatives. It is true that we have not yet been able to arrest him, but we have registered a case of murder and recovered the vehicle,” SP Sudarshan told the media.
According to reports, Cyriac’s classmate was also in the car at the time of the incident. He later appeared at the Angamaly Police Station and recorded his statement. Cyriac has been absconding since February 28, but police have issued a lookout notice at airports and other transit hubs to prevent him from leaving the country.
Jasliya was admitted to a private hospital in Ernakulam after the accident. She was declared brain dead on March 3. Her family later consented to organ donation, which helped save the lives of four people.
