The Banastarim drunken driving case appears to have hit a speed bump after an eyewitness complained to the Mardol police that a lady was driving the ill-fated car contrary to the FIR, which stated that Paresh Sawardekar was at the wheel. The disclosure turns the police investigation topsy-turvy and puts a question mark on police action and the sincerity of the probe.
The case has been watched closely from different quarters because the accused have an influential background, and persistent questions have been raised over an impartial probe into the accident. Police revelation that the driver was heavily intoxicated, with a blood alcohol level showing 94 mg against the permitted 30 mg, and that the Mercedes car being booked four times in the past two months for over-speeding seem to have cleared the initial air of uncertainty. However, a witness debunking the police identification of the driver, besides raising apprehension that the police did not show initial urgency towards the victims while devoting their full attention to salvaging the occupants of the car, gives a new turn to the case and puts a spotlight back on the police.
Now, the question is, who was driving? The FIR says it was the man, and the witness says it was the woman. The witness also claimed that the lady was helped out of the car and was highly intoxicated, that she could not walk properly.
The first test for the police would be to prove their charge. The accused could use the ambiguity as an escape route since the police have not conducted any test to determine the level of alcohol in her body. Alcohol detection tests can measure alcohol in the blood for up to 12 hours from consumption. Also, no charges have been pressed for endangering the lives of three minor children seated in the rear seat of the car.
While Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho and Chief Minister Pramod Sawant condemned drunken driving incidents, the gaping holes in the police investigation and the poor conviction rate expose the hollowness of any resolve to tackle such cases.
Inside the hallowed precincts of the Legislative Assembly, Godinho minced no words equating deaths due to drunken driving to murders on roads. He said drunkards on wheels are like bombs waiting to explode and called for stringent action showing no mercy or consideration for the stature of those accused. Hypothetically, the transport minister spoke of a method by which the victim's family needs to be compensated by the victim. On the other side, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said he was ready to make the necessary changes to the law so that there are more stringent provisions against rash and drunken driving.
The anger is visible but does not add up regarding the investigation and the intent to take such cases to their logical conclusion. It appears there has been a failure in the Banastarim case before it could take off, and such discrepancies could cause more pain to those seeking justice. The police will have a lot to answer.
