PANAJI
Four months after the gruesome accident in Banastarim claimed three innocent lives and seriously injured three others, delayed forensic results have prolonged the process of filing a chargesheet in the infamous case involving influential families.
Bloodstain samples, DNA samples, call details, and other exhibits were sent to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) in Pune and the State FSL at Verna, but the reports are yet to arrive.
Police sources revealed that the pending forensic reports are the reason for the delay in completing the investigation. In fact, the CFSL Pune had already communicated to the Crime Branch (CB) that analysis might take three months.
“We have another month and a half to go…If there’s further delay, we will write a reminder to the CFSL to expedite the test results,” a senior officer told The Goan.
The investigation has so far confirmed that Shripad Sinai Sawardekar alias Paresh, was the one driving the ill-fated Mercedes Benz at the time of the incident and not his wife Meghana.
Despite some serious lapses in the initial investigation by the Mardol police, the CB had submitted both old and fresh evidence, including blood stains from the Mercedes airbags to compare with the DNA of Paresh and Meghana, and the call/ message/ WhatsApp details for examination.
Nearly eight hours after the accident on August 6, the Mardol police arrested Paresh for driving recklessly under the influence of alcohol. The same police team faced allegations of a cover-up given that the couple belonged to influential families.
The case was transferred to the CB about a fortnight later and a nine-member team was formed. This was followed by the arrest of noted lawyer and President of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Goa Amit Palekar on charges of allegedly attempting to mislead the police by planting a dummy car driver named Ganesh Lamani. The dummy driver was also taken into custody and interestingly both were bailed out on the same day.
Was drunken car racing reason behind the horrific accident?
PANAJI: In what could prompt further investigation, sources revealed that most of those who were at a rotary club party in Ponda on August 6, were not only inebriated but some of them including the accused were allegedly involved in car racing after the party.
Another influential person, who had previously denied any connection to the incident, was actually behind the Mercedes Benz that crashed into several vehicles near the Banastarim bridge on the same Sunday evening.
“Several partygoers have privately admitted to being heavily drunk during the party after which some of them, including the accused, reportedly decided to hold a car race as they headed back to Panaji and beyond. This reckless racing challenge to be the first to cross the Panaji border led to the accident,” a family source said.
