3 minutes of readingThiruvananthapuramFebruary 6, 2026 07:14 pm IST
Two young people suffered serious injuries after the motorcycle they were riding on collided with a car driven by Malayalam actor Maniyanpilla Raju here, police said Friday.
Raju was arrested by the police and released on bail.
The injured were identified as Sooraj (20) and Nidev (20), residents of Thiruvananthapuram.
According to the museum police, the accident occurred around 9.30 pm on Thursday in front of the Trivandrum Club on the Vellayambalam-Vazhuthakkad road.
Police said Maniyanpilla Raju, after attending an event at Subrahmanium Hall, was entering the Vellayambalam-Vazhuthakkad highway when his car collided with the motorcycle. However, the actor did not stop the vehicle and left the scene without attending to the injured, police said.
People who gathered at the spot took the duo to a hospital and both suffered multiple fractures, police added.
A case was registered against the driver of the car for rash driving, negligent act endangering life and refusing to attend to a person injured in an accident, under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Motor Vehicles Act.
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The police, after a preliminary investigation, confirmed that the vehicle was driven by Maniyanpilla Raju.
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Raju, who reported to the Museum police station on Friday morning, told reporters that a motorcycle collided with his car. It will be confirmed after CCTV footage from the area is examined.
“I was driving the car slowly to cross the road when the motorcycle collided with the vehicle. I heard a noise and saw someone fall. After leaving the scene, I contacted a person and asked him to arrange an ambulance,” he said.
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The actor confirmed that the car was driven by him and that he left the place due to his health.
“I am a cancer patient and now I have been diagnosed with chikungunya. Also, my wife was alone at home,” he said.
Raju said he had contacted the police and informed them that he could not turn up in the evening.
“I told them I would show up in the morning. The vehicle will be handed over to the police,” he added.
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The police took Maniyanpilla Raju to a government hospital, where a blood test was conducted to determine whether he was driving in a drunken state.
He was later taken to the police station, where his arrest was formally recorded and he was released on bail, officials said.
The police also recovered the car driven by Maniyanpilla Raju, involved in the accident, and shifted it to the Museum police station, where it will be examined by the Motor Vehicle Department (MVD).
Meanwhile, Thiruvananthapuram city police commissioner K Karthick ordered a detailed probe into the incident.
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Directions have been issued to the deputy commissioner of police concerned to conduct an inquiry into all aspects of the case, including the delay in the arrest of Maniyanpilla Raju, and submit a report, officials said.