Motorcyclist in Hulhumalé crash released despite 15-day remand order
Some local media outlets have identified the rider travelling against traffic as Ahmed Uwais, although police have not officially confirmed his identity.
The motorcyclist involved in a collision that seriously injured four people in Hulhumalé Phase II had been released from police custody just days after the Criminal Court ordered his detention for 15 days in a separate fraud investigation.
The accident occurred on Nirolhu Magu at approximately 2.55am on Wednesday, 7 October, when a motorcycle carrying three people and travelling against the designated direction of traffic collided with another motorcycle.
Four people sustained serious injuries and remain under medical treatment.
Among the injured were two male members of the same family travelling on the motorcycle that was being ridden in accordance with traffic regulations. One suffered bleeding in the brain, while the other sustained extensive facial injuries. Both remain in serious condition.
Some local media outlets have identified the rider travelling against traffic as Ahmed Uwais, although police have not officially confirmed his identity.
Police told Dhauru that no arrests had been made in connection with the collision but declined to provide details about the rider.
According to information published on the Criminal Court's website, Uwais was arrested on 1 October in connection with a fraud investigation.
The court's detention order stated that he had an extensive criminal record and could pose a danger to society if released. On those grounds, the court ordered him to be held in custodial detention for 15 days.
However, Uwais was released by police on Tuesday, 6 October, five days after his arrest and before the expiry of the court-ordered detention period.
The court orders publicly available on the Criminal Court's website do not indicate that the court subsequently authorised his release.
Dhauru sought an explanation from police about why he had been released before the expiry of the remand period, but no response had been received.
Some media outlets, citing police, have reported that he was released following the conclusion of the fraud investigation.
Police have said the motorcycle travelling against traffic was believed to have been stolen. They also said the rider did not hold a driving licence for that category of vehicle.
The collision has raised concerns among the injured victims' family members about how the incident is being investigated. The family has lodged a complaint alleging that police were treating the case as an ordinary road accident.
Police have not announced any arrests in connection with the collision.
Uwais has previously been arrested in several other cases.
In 2024, he was arrested in connection with an alleged assault on a woman inside an apartment at a Hiyaa housing flat in Hulhumalé Phase II. Police entered the apartment after breaking down the door when they heard a woman crying for help during the night.
He was also previously arrested in connection with allegations of assisting a person to escape from police custody.
His record also includes fraud-related cases and repeated traffic violations.
Police have not provided further information about the investigation into the collision or explained the circumstances surrounding his release from detention before the expiry of the court-ordered period.
