DIVAR: A pall of gloom descended on to the peaceful locality of Mudder in Divar as the funeral pyres of Bhavana and Suresh Phadte consumed their last remains, throwing light on the permanently darkened lives of the loved ones they left behind. Life doesn’t give them airbags of protection that a Mercedes does
The couple left behind their elderly parents and two children after a speeding Mercedes car driven by Paresh Sawardekar, whose alcohol level was three times the limit, mowed them down in Banastarim on Sunday night.
After working for several years, Suresh was about to retire from his private job in Khorlim. On Sunday, Suresh and Bhavana had left home to meet his sister in Kundaim.
Suresh was building a house in Mudder, Divar. Little did the family know that Suresh and Bhavna who were constructing a new house would come to the half-complete structure lifeless and wrapped in white cloth, crushed to death by a Mercedes driver Paresh Savardekar, with alcohol three times the permissible limit.
Suresh was crushed by the speeding vehicle, while Bhavna was thrown away in the gorge on the side of the bridge and died with the impact.
Suresh and Bhavna Phadte were cremated at Narve, late Monday evening. Their son, who is a photographer with the Goa Police, conducted the last rites. Their daughter, who is currently pursuing her MSc, was dumbstruck to have realised that her parents won’t be with her any more.
OHeraldo visited the house of the deceased only to be greeted with tears by the mother of a hardworking son who was nearing retirement this month. “I kept requesting either of them to stay back but their time had come,” she said.
Former Sarpanch of Sao Matias Panchayat Mohan Volvoikar, while extending his condolences to the family of the deceased couple, said that strict action needs to be taken against the accused.
The eyewitness of the incident Harsha Gaude described the accident as horrific, something she has never seen in her entire life. “People gathered and helped the ones who were pleading for saving their lives,” Gaude said.
The driver of the Mercedes car may never realise that his action may have taken three lives but it also destroyed several others.
(With inputs from Clinton D’Souza)
Relatives of accident victims in shock
BAMBOLIM: The family members of the injured accident victims undergoing treatment at GMC, were found to be totally distraught and in a state of shock.
Team Herald visited GMC on Monday morning to know the condition of the injured Vanita Bhandari, Raj Majgaonkar and Shankar Halarnkar.
It is learnt that Vanita is in a critical condition at the ICU as she has sustained multiple fractures.
Meanwhile, Raj Majgaonkar is admitted in the neurology ward and undergoing treatment, while Shankar Halarnkar is stationed at the Neurosurgery ward wherein he is also undergoing medical treatment.
The family members of the injured were unable to say anything as they were in shock. They only said that their loved ones are in trouble and undergoing pain due to negligence of one person (referring to the Mercedes driver).
They now only want their family members to recover and justice should be given to them, because “such things are completely unacceptable”, they said.
‘Police panchanama and eyewitness statements crucial’
Team Herald
PANJIM: Independent inquiry backed by accurate panchanama and statements from eyewitnesses are crucial to take high-profile cases like that of the Banastarim accident case to its logical end, prominent advocates said.
Speaking to O Heraldo, Adv Rui Ferreira said that the outcome of such cases totally depends on the police investigation.
“The law is set in motion with the police panchanama and the statement of the eyewitnesses. Police should perform their duty without fear or favour,” Ferreira said.
“In this country, there seems to be different laws for the rich and poor. For the rich, they (police) dilute the evidence in order to leave some loopholes for them to get away from the crime which ultimately delays the legal process and cases are falsely booked against the poor,” Ferreira said.
Referring to the deadly accident, he said that the investigation needs to be carried out thoroughly by the local police under direct supervision of a SP level officer and also by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who also holds the charge of the Home department. He further said that there shouldn’t be any political interference in the case.
Commenting on the Banastarim accident case Adv Rohit Bras De Sa said, “The irony of this unfortunate rash and negligent driving case is that a witness identifies a lady driving in an intoxicated state and the police have booked the husband. This is a clear cut case for acquittal. We need a sincere and honest investigation. All lives are precious.”
Adv Nigel Da Costa Frias said, “It was very critical to apprehend the driver of the car, which the police did. They ought to do the alcohol test and then the process of law i.e. FIR, thorough investigation and filing of chargesheet should follow. All this should be done without any pressure on police.”
Banastarim accident accused was drunk: Police
PONDA: Police investigation has found that the Banastarim fatal accident accused Shripad alias Paresh Sinai Sawardekar (48) was drunk three times beyond the permissible limit for driving.
His medical examination was conducted for alcohol and the report revealed that the accused consumed 94 mg of alcohol against the permissible limit of 30 mg, Ponda DySP Ashish Shirodkar said here on Monday.
He has been booked for various offences. The Mardol police registered the crime under Sections 279, 304, 337, 338 of IPC; Sections 134(a) 134 (b), 185 of MV Act and Rule 6 of MV 2017.
Sawardekar was produced before the JMFC court on Monday and remanded to two days Police Custody.
The DySP further said the accused was returning after attending a party at a farm house at Opa-Kodar. He said at least seven challans of overspeeding are pending against Sawardekar. The car owner is learnt to be Meghana S Sawardekar.
He further said as per Police record, offence is registered against car driver Sawardekar. While putting to rest the doubts of the actual car driver in the accident DySP Shirodkar said, “Paresh Sawardekar was driving the car and not his wife. According to eyewitnesses, she had come and sat in the driver’s seat after the accident to save her husband and three children.”