Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 13, 2026 โ The Kerala government will take stringent action against bars that serve alcohol to people below the legal age of 23, Excise Minister M B Rajesh told the Assembly while referring to a fatal Mini Cooper crash near Kochi that claimed three young lives on Sunday.
Replying to a question from Ernakulam MLA T J Vinod, the minister stated that the Excise Department had already registered cases against three bars for allegedly serving liquor to the underage accused individuals. Emphasizing the gravity of the situation, he noted that the state administration would not compromise on the issue under any circumstances.
Rajesh explained that the Excise Department acted immediately upon learning of the incident and that he had directed senior officials to take prompt measures. The government is also evaluating stricter guidelines to prevent establishments from serving alcohol to anyone under 23 years of age, signaling a broader push for heightened enforcement statewide.
The minister highlighted that numerous road accidents in Kerala stem from driving under the influence of alcohol and other intoxicants, noting that many lives have been lost due to such reckless behavior. He added that while the existing Abkari Act contains provisions to penalize bars serving underage patrons, the administration is exploring additional measures to reinforce compliance.
The policy response follows a tragic collision in the early hours of Sunday at Nedumbassery near Kochi, where a speeding Mini Cooper allegedly driven by an intoxicated 19-year-old rammed into a scooter, killing two women and a man, all approximately 21 years old.
Police subsequently arrested the driver, a Kochi native named Suhail, and booked him for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Authorities revealed that his mother had given him the luxury vehicle for his birthday, and investigators uncovered videos showing him driving at speeds exceeding 200 kilometers per hour. Three friends who accompanied him in the car at the time of the crash were also taken into custody as investigations and regulatory crackdowns continue.