PANAJI
Businessman Shripad Sinai Sawardekar alias Paresh and politician Amit Palekar are among seven persons chargesheeted by the Crime Branch in the 2023 Banastarim fatal accident case.
In the 1158 page chargesheet submitted to the court on Monday, the accused face charges of culpable homicide, destruction of evidence and criminal conspiracy among other offenses under the Indian Penal Code and Motor Vehicles Act. A total of 121 witnesses have been examined.
Paresh has been specifically charged with recklessly driving his Mercedes Benz SUV on August 6, 2023 under the influence of alcohol, which resulted in the death of three persons and caused serious injuries to four others.
"The investigation conducted in this case has revealed that accused Paresh committed an offense of causing an accident under the influence of alcohol at Banastarim Bridge while proceeding towards Panaji. It caused the death of three persons, grievous injuries to four others and simple injuries to several more," reads an extract from the chargesheet shared by the Crime Branch.
Paresh is further accused of fleeing the accident scene without providing medical assistance to the injured and failing to inform the police. "He attempted to present his driver Ganesh Lamani as the person responsible for the accident. Paresh provided false information to the police to evade legal punishment and destroyed evidence related to the case," it adds.
The CB has further stated that a conspiracy was hatched at the residence of Atrey Sawant in Tivrem. It is alleged that Paresh, along with Palekar, Ganesh Lamani, Abhijeet Shetye, Vishnu Tarcar, Atrey and Prajyot Chodankar conspired to shield Paresh from legal consequences by presenting Lamani as the driver of the SUV involved in the accident.
"They facilitated the disappearance of evidence, provided false information about the offense to Mardol Police Station and misled the investigation. Accused Ganesh Lamani agreed to act as the imposter driver at Paresh Sawardekar’s behest, thus harboring the main accused with the intention of protecting him from legal punishment," the Crime Branch said.
Paresh, Amit Palekar, Ganesh Lamani, Abhijeet Shetye, Vishnu Tarcar, Atrey Sawant, and Prajyot Chodankar have been charged under sections 279 (rash driving), 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 338 (causing grievous hurt by endangering life or personal safety of others), 201 (destruction of evidence) 203 (giving false information), 212 (harbouring offender), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 419 (impersonation) of the IPC, as well as sections 134(a), 134(b), and 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act and Rules 6 and 7 of the Motor Vehicles (Driving) Regulations, 2017. The chargesheet has thus ruled out that Paresh's wife Meghana was driving the car, which was the earlier alleged by some witnesses.
