PANAJI
When members of two families decided to have an informal get-together late Saturday evening, nobody may have even dreamt that it would end in a tragedy that snuffed the lives of three youngsters.
The five youngsters who were in the ill-fated car would often go out together for eat outs during the weekends.
“This weekend, they decided to have a party at the residence of deceased, Veldrofe D’Souza, at Badem in Assagao,” informed a source close to the family.
Besides Veldrofe, his wife, younger brother, father and brother-in-law, Shawn Fernandes, were at home for the party.
A source said that midway into the party, at around 11 pm, Shawn, Veldrofe and Ninoshka left with the car to pick up two other cousins.
Abigail and her sister, Fiona, had gone to Quepem for a birthday party with friends and had returned to Merces late on Saturday evening. Shawn, Veldrofe and Ninoshka had proceeded to Merces to pick them.
The horrific mishap that claimed the lives of three youngsters took place at around 1.30 am on Sunday when the group was returning after picking up their cousins from Merces.
The villagers in Badem Assagao said the D’Souzas were a God-fearing family and the deceased Veldrofe’s mother was an active member in the church.
Veldrofe was a Covid survivor while his mother succumbed to the dreaded disease around two years back.
He was the middle son among the three and had just quit his job in a financial company for better prospects.
“In fact, the party was also a reason to celebrate Veldrofe’s appointment in a new company,” a family member informed.
The family is waiting for the arrival of the younger brother who works on the ship to hold the funeral of late Veldrofe.
The other deceased, Shawn Fernandes, who hails from a well-to-do family from Parra is known to have a soft demeanour.
“Shawn was known to be a very quiet guy and involved in running the family business under the patronage of his father,” said Parra Sarpanch Chandu Harmalkar.
He was the only son, besides two other sisters, one of whom was married to Veldrofe.
