Thrissur: Driver Arjun has told the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) that he was not behind the wheel of the car at the time of the accident that led to the death of musician Balabhaskar.

Arjun had told the police also that it was Balabhaskar who was driving the car and that he was in the back seat sleeping.

He reiterated before the CBI that he realised there had been an accident only after he woke up on hearing a loud noise. Arjun, a native of Patturaikal, said Balabhaskar took over the driving in Kollam.

A team led by CBI Thiruvananthapuram unit SP Nandakumaran Nair questioned him at a hotel room in Thrissur. Arjun said he was ready for a lie-detector test. The interrogation lasted two hours.

The CBI team has obtained information that Arjun was accused in cases ranging from ATM robbery to the ‘nagamanikyam’ scam. Arjun was arrested three years ago in connection with a case of attempting to break into two ATM counters in Palakkad and Thrissur districts.

He was also caught for cheating traders by promising to sell them gold smuggled from the Gulf without paying duties, for less than the market price.

The accident happened early morning on September 5, 2018, when the car hit a tree at Pallippuram near Kazhakkoottam. Balabhaskar was travelling with his wife and child from Thiruvananthapuram to Thrissur when the vehicle went out of control. The child died on the spot, while Balabhaskar breathed his last on October 2 during treatment. His wife and Arjun were injured.

Recently, actor Kalabhavan Sobi has alleged that the accident was staged. He said he had passed by the accident spot around the time it happened and saw some suspicious activities by a group of people near the spot.