Kalabhavan Sobi says Balabhaskar died in staged accident; offers to take lie-detector test

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will look into the statement of Kalabhavan Sobi that gold smuggling accused Sarith was at the accident site wherein musician Balabhaskar was killed on September 25, 2018.

Sobi, who had stated that it was a staged accident, said he was ready for a lie-detector test. The CBI recorded a detailed statement of Sobi in this regard and sources said all aspects would be examined in detail to verify its authenticity.

Sobi had issued a couple of incisive statements after Balabhaskar’s death. He had famously stated that goons had attacked and damaged the musician’s car ahead of the accident. He also said he had seen a person ‘who looked like Sarith.’ The CBI had summoned Sobi to the Thiruvananthapuram office to get the detailed statement.

Sobi had earlier given his statements to the Crime Branch a well. He had then stated that he saw ‘two people’ at the accident site in a suspicious circumstance. He had not mentioned the ‘goon attack’ then. The CBI would also look into the contradictions in the statement. Sources said Sobi could be taken to the crime spot to verify his statements.

On the fateful day, the musician’s car rammed a wall near Pallipuram. His wife, Lakshmi, and a friend Arjun escaped with injuries but the couple’s child died on the spot. Balabhaskar died in a hospital subsequently.

Sobi had told the Crime Branch that he had passed the location after 10 minutes of the accident. He said he had not known then that it was Balabhaskar’s car.

He said there was a small crowd at the accident site. Sobi said he noticed a man running on the left side and another pushing a two-wheeler on the right. Sobi said he reduced the speed of his vehicle thinking the people around would be the kin of the accident victims. No one waved at the vehicle to stop, he added.

Sobi said he felt suspicious right then and a man banged on the bonnet of his car and screamed at him to move the vehicle forward.

He said he saw a man clearly and he was wearing a red t-shirt and had a spectacle on him. Sobi said this was Sarith and he had his hands in his pocket. He looked calm. Sobi said he distinctly remembered ‘Sarith’ because all the others were hurling expletives at him but Sarith stood there watching.