PANAJI
While the police have remained tight-lipped about the mysterious disappearance of Gujarati businessman Bashudev Bhandari, fresh questions have emerged, particularly surrounding whether his girlfriend, a management student, was allegedly intoxicated and driving the rental car at the time of the incident.
The 22-year-old's family, camping in Goa for a month are seeking answers about his whereabouts and raised suspicions about the girl, who was last seen Bashudev. The family established contact with the girl, studying management at a Sanquelim institute, to find clues to trace his whereabouts.
They have accessed CCTV footage that reportedly shows Bhandari, his girlfriend and two others consuming alcohol at a restaurant before their late-night outing on August 31.
The family has also claimed they were unaware of Bhandari's alleged relationship or that he was in Goa. "When we asked the girl how long they had known each other, she told us they had been in a serious relationship for three years. We had no idea about this or that he travelled to Goa," Bhandari's sibling said.
The family further alleged that while the girl stated Bhandari and their two friends were drunk, she denied being intoxicated. However, the family believes she too was under the influence of alcohol, citing the CCTV footage which is also in the possession of the Old Goa police.
In another development, the family disclosed that the girl, who claimed she knows driving, told them she was not behind the wheel on the night of the incident. "We never asked her who was driving but she answered without any prompting," Bhandari's brother said.
Concerns have also been raised about how the girl managed to escape from the vehicle submerged in the St Estevam river.
