Thiruvanathapuram: In another shocking revelation, it has come to light that the ambulance carrying Sanalkumar, who was run over by a speeding car after pushed onto the road by Neyyatinkara DySP B Harikumar, was taken to a police station first instead of the hospital on Monday night.

The ambulance, on way from Neyyattinkara General Hospital to Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital, was diverted to Neyyattinkara police station, delaying immediate medical care to Sanalkumar. The ambulance reached the medical college only at 11.30pm and Sanalkumar died before that. The incident occurred at 9.30pm. The Thiruvananthapuram Medical College is around 25 kilometres away from the Neyyattinkara General Hospital.

Sources claimed that police officials hushed up the details of the accident at the medical college and instead reported that Sanalkumar had tried to commit suicide. Two police officials, CPS Sajeesh Kumar and Shibu, have been suspended over the incident.

DySP called rural SP before fleeing

Neyyattinkara DySP B Harikumar, who has been on the run after he was charged with a road-rage related murder on Monday night, had phoned Thiruvananthapuram rural SP Ashok Kumar before he fled the spot.

“There was an accident at Neyyattinkara. A man was fatally knocked down by a car during an altercation. I’m staying out of the scene for the time-being,” Harikumar told the SP over the phone. Thereafter he switched off the mobile phone.

Had the SP tried to check the enormity of the incident with the special branch or the local police station, Harikumar could have been taken into custody the same night, said some of the top police officials.

It was alleged that the SP recommended to the DGP that the case be handed over to the crime branch with an intention to delay the probe.

Sanalkumar, 32, an electrician hailing from Kodangavila, was killed after he was allegedly pushed by the DySP onto the road and an oncoming car crushed him. The

On Wednesday, the investigating team visited Harikumar’s close relatives and urged them to cooperate with the probe.

Six police teams are on the trail of Harikumar and his aide Binu, who helped him flee the spot following the incident. The duo is believed to be hiding in Tamil Nadu.

IG Manoj Abraham said action will be taken against higher police officials also if they were found to have delayed the ambulance. had earlier directed the special branch to investigate whether the ambulance was diverted.

The BJP had alleged that the CPM and the police were trying to protect the DySP. Family of Sanalkumar also expressed their displeasure over the police investigation. The BJP wants a case to be slapped against Anavur Nagappan, the CPM district secretary, for protecting a murder accused. It has also called for the examination of CCTV images in the CPM district ofce and nearby areas.

“It was to the CPM district office that the accused rushed after committing the murder," BJP district president S Suresh said on Wednesday. "The accused was also in frequent touch with CPM district secretary Anavoor Nagappan, Neyyatinkara's CPM MLA Ansalan, and former Nemom MLA V Sivankutty,” he added.

Suresh also demanded that the police verify the call records of these CPM leaders.