PANAJI: Citizens continued to take to social media on Tuesday to express their rage against the Banastarim accident and asked how the husband, Paresh Sawardekar, had been arrested when eyewitnesses remained firm that a woman was driving the car. The accident saw three lives being lost.
Citizens also took to social media to express doubts about whether the actual accused had been arrested and shared photos of police escorting the accused, pointing out that the physique differed from that of Sawardekar.
“In connivance with the authorities, the perpetrators of the crime could and already might have gone to the extent of instituting an ‘ad hoc culprit’ behind bars (who will be paid huge sums of money) to bear all the inconvenience when the incident that has taken place is of a mighty scale!” said Stephen Rebello.
Others questioned how, despite having several challans pending against her for overspeeding, Meghana Sawardekar’s licence was not suspended. The Mercedes-Benz SUV involved in the accident is registered in Meghna’s name.
“The lady driver had four pending challans, mostly for overspeeding, and eyewitnesses say the car was being driven by a lady who was drunk. Police should investigate and arrest the culprit,” said Naresh Sakhardande.
Still other citizens sought to know the status of the victims of the accident undergoing treatment at Goa Medical College and even demanded that the accused pay compensation.
“Conscious Goans stand in solidarity with the victims and families of the horrendous Banastarim accident. We will remember this as the win of power, arrogance and devaluation of commoners’ lives. Shame on Goa police and whoever is involved in diluting the punishment,” said Aayushi Naik.
Suraj Shenai said that “police helped to shift the drunk VIPs to safety without attending to the wounded or deceased (meaning avoiding a scratch on a rich person is more important than saving a commoner’s life)”.
Seby Noronha said, “The process of obtaining justice gets more futile, helpless, and close to impossible for the victims when the culprits are “influential” and have bags of money to throw into the faces of the lawmakers and law executors. Already there are talks that a woman was driving, but now the man (reportedly the husband) has been arrested. If that is true, then there you go; the twisting has begun!”
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