Dubai: Nooha Sajeev, an Indian businesswoman whose boutique has branches in Dubai and Sharjah, has appealed for privacy for her family in a viral video. It was posted on Sunday, a week after her 19-year-old son, Suhail Sajeev, was accused of driving a Mini Cooper involved in a crash that killed three young people in the south Indian state of Kerala.
Gulf News has now named Nooha because she has publicly addressed the tragedy and the scrutiny her family has faced on social media.
Suhail, her second son, and three friends, who are also accused, are in judicial custody at a borstal school in Kerala. The crash took place near Cochin International Airport in the early hours of Sunday, October 11.
Nooha's video, posted on Sunday, October 18, had more than 4.5 million views on Instagram and 2.1 million on Facebook by Monday afternoon.
She said she understood the grief of the bereaved parents and pledged that her family would always support them. She urged people to let the law take its course and not to spread what she called baseless allegations.
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'Let the truth emerge'
"I know the never-ending grief that their families are suffering now," Nooha said, offering condolences to the families of Devika, 21, Gopika, 21, and Iyas, 23, who died in the crash. She acknowledged that her words could not ease their suffering.
"Let the truth, let only the truth come out. Let everything happen truthfully," she said, calling on the authorities concerned to investigate thoroughly.
Recognising the anger on social media, she said people might hate her family but asked them to respect its privacy. "We are a normal family of four. We are ordinary people," she said, adding that she was struggling with concern for her son's future while also feeling the pain of the three deaths.
UAE business links
Nooha's UAE connection was previously reported by Gulf News after her son's arrest.
In an earlier video, she had clarified that the Dubai operation belongs to her company but is managed by her brother, while his wife handles the business's videos in the UAE. Nooha herself appears in promotional videos for the brand's outlets in Kerala.
Footage from the inauguration of the brand's Sharjah branch last year shows Nooha and both her sons attending.
On Monday, Nooha's sister-in-law also posted a video, the first from the family's Dubai and Sharjah shops in a week.
She said the family had been deeply affected, and she had not been in a physical or emotional condition to record anything earlier. "Three young people lost their lives in the accident, and their families have suffered a loss that can never be made up for," she said, adding that the family would stand by the victims' families for the rest of their lives. She then briefly turned to the outfits featured in the video, marking the shops' return to promotional posts.
Why anger spread
Public anger intensified after several media outlets reported that Suhail told local residents who confronted him after the crash that his father would take care of everything. The remark became a focus of criticism over accountability.
An older Instagram video also drew attention. The Times of India reported on October 12 that it showed the speedometer of a car believed to be driven by Suhail climbing from 204km/h to 220km/h. The location and circumstances of the recording have not been independently established.
Another widely shared video, recorded before the crash, showed Nooha presenting the Mini Cooper to her son as a belated birthday gift. She described it as his dream car and said the family had been unable to give it to him on his birthday in December. The clip drew renewed attention after the deaths and became part of the wider debate over young drivers' responsibilities.
There were also protests alleging leniency towards the accused and the government promised an impartial and thorough investigation. The accused were then reportedly charged under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS, India's criminal code) Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 281 (rash driving), 49 (abetment) and 3(5) (acts committed with common intention), along with Section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act for drunken driving, reports said.
Bail rejected
The Angamaly Judicial First Class Magistrate Court rejected the bail applications of Suhail and co-accused Ninav, Joel and Ameen.
The prosecution argued that their release could hamper an investigation at a crucial stage.
The four were granted police custody until the evening of October 15 for questioning and evidence collection. Investigators took Suhail to the crash site and to bars where the group allegedly consumed alcohol before the collision.
All four were then returned to the borstal facility in Kakkanad, where they are held because they are under 21.
Special team continues probe
The state government formed a Special Investigation Team amid allegations of lapses in the initial police response. Aluva Deputy Superintendent of Police PP Baiju Paulose heads the team, with Ernakulam Rural Superintendent of Police KS Sudarshan overseeing the investigation.
Police are examining forensic findings, CCTV footage and the group's movements before the crash, including whether they engaged in high-speed racing or encouraged dangerous driving. Medical testing reportedly found Suhail's blood-alcohol level was around five times the permissible limit, reports said.
The Excise Department has suspended the licences of three establishments over allegations that alcohol was served to people below Kerala's drinking age of 23.
Car ownership and haircut controversy
Ownership of the Mini Cooper has also come into focus. Earlier reports identified Suhail's father Sajeev Jalal as the registered owner, but Kerala Kaumudi reported on Monday, citing police, that Nooha is the registered owner. Presenting the car as a gift does not settle who legally owned it.
The Motor Vehicles Department has reportedly examined the car, including reported modifications to its silencer and exhaust system.
Suhail and his friends also sparked fresh controversy after getting closely cropped haircuts. There were allegations that this could affect identification, since Suhail's long, curly hair had been cited as a distinctive feature. However, investigators have reportedly dismissed the possibility, according to Onmanorama.
As of October 19, investigators were expected to seek Suhail's custody again for further questioning and to record statements from the victims' families. Devika was from Wayanad, Gopika from Palakkad and Iyas from Karnataka.