Dubai boutique owner pleads for privacy after son’s fatal crash in Kerala

An Indian designer who owns a boutique in Dubai has asked for privacy after her teenage son was charged in connection with a car crash that killed three people in southern India.

Nooha Sajeev, whose boutique is in Karama, posted a video on the store’s social media accounts pleading for the public to avoid spreading rumours about her family.

“I know how parents raise their children with love and a lot of dreams. Losing them is unimaginable,” she said. “No matter what I say, it will not lessen the pain of the families. I hope that the investigation continues honestly. At such a trying time, I request privacy for our family. I am a normal mother, and I request that you avoid spreading rumours about me and my family.”

Fatal crash in Kerala

The accident happened on 11 October when a Mini Cooper allegedly driven by Sajeev’s 19-year-old son, Suhail Sajeev, crashed into a scooter carrying three youngsters in Kerala. According to Indian media reports, his blood alcohol concentration was far above the legal limit.

The victims were identified as Devika, Gopika and Ijaz, aged between 21 and 22. They were students and coworkers returning after having tea when the crash occurred. The first information report from Kerala Police states the three were thrown off the scooter by the impact. Two died at the scene; the third succumbed to injuries later in hospital.

Suhail and three friends who were in the car with him have been arrested. He faces charges including “culpable homicide not amounting to murder”. The four were denied bail on 17 October.

Some witnesses reported that soon after the accident Suhail boasted his father would take care of everything. The Indian court that heard his bail plea recorded that remark in its judgement while denying bail.

Online backlash

Since the incident, Sajeev, her boutiques and her family have faced intense scrutiny on social media. An earlier video of her gifting the green Mini Cooper to her son for his 19th birthday has resurfaced.

The designer’s boutique social media accounts have lost thousands of followers. Several Indian celebrities and politicians have publicly criticised the family. The video in which Sajeev requests privacy has racked up millions of views on Instagram and more than 2,000 comments. Comments on the post have since been limited.

AI-generated videos and images purporting to recreate the accident have also flooded social media.

Boutique resumes posting

On Monday, the Dubai branch of Sajeev’s boutique resumed posting promotional videos on its social media accounts. An employee acknowledged the accident and said the store had paused its content for more than a week.

“We were not in the mental state to post videos,” the employee said. “The families of the three children have suffered an irreplaceable loss. As long as we live, we will continue to hold those families close to us.”

Comments on all videos from the Dubai branch have been limited.