Dubai boutique owner pleads for privacy after son’s car involved in fatal Kerala crash

Viral video and public plea

In a video posted on Sunday, 18 October, Nooha asked the public to give her family space and let the legal process run its course. The clip quickly gathered more than 4.5 million views on Instagram and 2.1 million on Facebook by the following afternoon. She said she understood the endless grief of the bereaved parents and pledged that her family would always stand by them, while urging people not to spread what she called baseless allegations.

She offered condolences to the families of Devika, 21, Gopika, 21 and Iyas, 23, acknowledging that her words could not ease their pain. “I know the never-ending grief that their families are suffering now,” she said, adding “Let the truth, let only the truth come out. Let everything happen truthfully” and calling on authorities to conduct a thorough investigation.

Recognising the anger circulating on social media, she said people might dislike her family but asked them to respect its privacy: “We are a normal family of four. We are ordinary people.” She also spoke of her personal struggle, worrying about her son’s future while feeling the sorrow of the three deaths.

Background of the boutique and family

Nooha’s business connection to the UAE had been reported previously by Gulf News after her son’s arrest. In an earlier clip she explained that the Dubai operation belongs to her company but is managed by her brother, while his wife handles the business’s videos in the UAE. Nooha herself appears in promotional material for the brand’s Kerala outlets.

Footage from the inauguration of the Sharjah branch last year shows Nooha together with both her sons. On Monday, her sister‑in‑law posted the first video from the family’s Dubai and Sharjah shops in a week, saying the relatives had been deeply affected and that she had not been in a physical or emotional state to record earlier. She stated, “Three young people lost their lives in the accident, and their families have suffered a loss that can never be made up for,” and promised that the family would stand by the victims’ families for the rest of their lives before briefly turning to the outfits featured in the clip, marking the shops’ return to promotional posts.

Details of the crash and legal proceedings

The crash occurred near Cochin International Airport in the early hours of Sunday, 11 October. Suhail Sajeev, Nooha’s second son, and three friends were accused of driving a Mini Cooper that killed the three youths. All four were placed in judicial custody at a borstal school in Kerala.

Gulf News named Nooha after she publicly addressed the tragedy and the scrutiny her family faced online. The video she posted on 18 October came a week after the crash.

Public anger intensified after media reports said Suhail told locals who confronted him after the collision that his father would take care of everything, a remark that became a focal point of criticism over accountability.

An older Instagram video drew attention when the Times of India reported on 12 October that it showed the speedometer of a car believed to be driven by Suhail rising from 204 km/h to 220 km/h. The location and circumstances of that recording have not been independently verified.

Another widely shared clip, recorded before the crash, depicted Nooha presenting the Mini Cooper to her son as a belated birthday gift. She described it as his dream car and said the family had been unable to give it to him on his birthday in December. The footage resurfaced after the deaths and entered the broader debate about young drivers’ responsibilities.

Protests alleging leniency toward the accused prompted the government to promise an impartial and thorough investigation. The youths were charged under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) – sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 281 (rash driving), 49 (abetment) and 3(5) (acts committed with common intention) – together with section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act for drunken driving.

The Angamaly Judicial First Class Magistrate Court rejected bail applications for Suhail and his co‑accused Ninav, Joel and Ameen. The prosecution argued that releasing them could hinder the investigation at a crucial stage.

The four were granted police custody until the evening of 15 October for questioning and evidence collection. Investigators took Suhail to the crash site and to bars where the group allegedly consumed alcohol before the collision. Afterwards all four were returned to the borstal facility in Kakkanad, where they are held because they are under 21.

Investigation developments

The Kerala state government formed a Special Investigation Team amid allegations of lapses in the initial police response. Aluva Deputy Superintendent of Police PP Baiju Paulose heads the team, with Ernakulam Rural Superintendent of Police KS Sudarshan overseeing the investigation.

Police are examining forensic findings, CCTV footage and the group’s movements before the crash, including whether they engaged in high‑speed racing or encouraged dangerous driving. Medical testing reportedly found Suhail’s blood‑alcohol level was around five times the permissible limit.

The Excise Department has suspended the licences of three establishments on allegations that alcohol was served to people below Kerala’s drinking age of 23.

Ownership of the Mini Cooper has also come under scrutiny. Earlier reports identified Suhail’s father Sajeev Jalal as the registered owner, but Kerala Kaumudi reported on Monday, citing police, that Nooha is the registered owner. Presenting the vehicle as a gift does not settle the legal question of ownership.

The Motor Vehicles Department has examined the car, including reported modifications to its silencer and exhaust system.

Suhail and his friends attracted fresh controversy after receiving closely cropped haircuts, with suggestions that this could affect identification given Suhail’s long, curly hair had been noted as a distinctive feature. Investigators have reportedly dismissed that possibility, according to Onmanorama.

As of 19 October, investigators were expected to seek Suhail’s custody again for further questioning and to record statements from the victims’ families. Devika was from Wayanad, Gopika from Palakkad and Iyas from Karnataka.