Goa: Drunk businessman held after his luxury car hits five vehicles, kills three persons near Panaji

Panaji, August 7

A prominent businessman was arrested after the Mercedes car he was driving in an inebriated condition allegedly hit five vehicles in Banastarim village near Panaji in Goa, killing three persons, a police official said on Monday.

The accident, in which three cars, a motorcycle and a scooter were hit, took place at 7:30pm on Sunday on the Ponda-Panaji national highway, some 15 kilometres from the state capital, he said.

Paresh Sawardekar, who owns a chain of supermarkets, was arrested in the intervening night of Sunday and Monday, Deputy Superintedent of Police Ashish Shirodkar said.

He identified the deceased as Suresh Fadte (58), his wife Bhavana Fadte (52) and one Anup Kamkar (26).

“The couple was on a motorcycle and Kamkar was riding a scooter. Sawardekar’s car was plying on the wrong lane. Five vehicles, including three cars, were hit in the accident. He was drunk and a test revealed 94 milligrams of alcohol in his blood (100 millilitres), which is three times the permissible limit,” the Deputy SP said.

“The accused was accompanied by his wife, in whose name the car is registered, and three children. Mardol police is probing the case further,” he added.

Sawardekar has been charged under Indian Penal Code sections 279 (rash driving), 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life of personal safety of others) as well as section 185 (drunken driving) of Motor Vehicle Act, Shirodkar informed.

Following the accident, villagers in the vicinity initially did not let the car responsible for the accident to be towed away, but allowed it after the intervention of police, other officials said.