The action against the Kochi police chief comes amid mounting criticism over alleged police lapses and growing demands for accountability in the case, in which the judge's minor son, driving a Mercedes-Benz, allegedly rammed a scooty, killing 55-year-old Jayabalakrishnan.
The victim's family has alleged a conspiracy to sabotage the investigation and weaken the case against the teenager.
According to the police, the minor was a regular driver and had taken the car out late at night to shoot a social media reel showing him driving at high speed.
The judge allegedly got the footage deleted from his son's phone. Investigators have also recovered footage from the mobile phone.
The damaged Mercedes-Benz, which has been kept at a police station, and the completely destroyed scooter driven by Jayabalakrishnan, a street food vendor, indicated that the impact speed could have been very high.
The case has drawn intense attention after the victim's family alleged that the teenager's influential father had attempted to weaken the proceedings.
The Kochi incident has drawn comparisons with a case involving a minor in Pune in May 2024. In that incident, a 17-year-old boy driving a speeding Porsche hit a bike, killing a man and a woman.
The minor in the Pune case was released on bail within 15 hours. The son of a prominent Pune realtor, he was granted bail after being made to write an essay on accidents and advised to undergo treatment for his drinking habit.
In the Kochi case, four other policemen were suspended yesterday after a senior officer visited the accident site, examined police records and met the victim's family.
Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala had assured the assembly that action would be taken against officials found responsible.
The handling of the case triggered protests after the teenager was initially charged under provisions relating to rash driving and causing death by negligence. He was subsequently released on station bail.
The case was later strengthened, and the boy's father, who owned the car, was also named as an accused.
A police team went to the judge's flat last night to conduct a search.
The victim's family has approached the high court, while the investigation has been handed over to the Crime Branch.
The removal of the Kochi police chief, suspension of four other policemen and transfer of the probe to the Crime Branch come amid continued scrutiny of the alleged lapses and demands for accountability in the case.
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