Kottayam (Kerala) | Kerala Congress (M) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Jose K Mani's 19-year-old son was arrested for alleged rash and negligent driving that led to an accident killing two members of a family near Manimala two days ago, police said on Monday.

According to the police, the accident occurred on Saturday evening on the Manimala-Muvattupuzha road when the scooter in which the two brothers were travelling rammed into the car from behind after its driver allegedly applied a sudden brake.

The victims, Mathew John (35) and his brother Jins John (30), were rushed to a nearby hospital but could not be saved.

The party leader's son K M Mani appeared before the police in Manimala on Sunday evening amid protests by local residents, who alleged that the police was trying to protect him from the case. He was released on bail by the police.

The owner of the car was identified as one Xavier Mathew, hailing from Pala, police said.