Team Herald
Panjim: The Naik family’s world was turned upside down in an instant, as a tragic road accident in Agassaim last week claimed the lives of two loved ones and left another struggling for survival. This Monday, little Shravi Naik, just one year and nine months old, succumbed to her injuries after the horrific crash had already taken the life of her father, Rajesh Naik, and left her mother, Ranjana, fighting for her own life in a hospital bed.
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But the question now doing the rounds is: was the driver under influence when he rammed his car?
Agassaim Police have started a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and slapped other charges against the driver of the vehicle Wilson Santano De Araujo, but the grieving family members accuse the driver of being drunk.
The police however claim to have found no trace of alcohol in the tests.
What was meant to be a joyful family outing to Old Goa turned into a nightmare that no one could have anticipated. The couple’s prayers for a child, after seven years of marriage, had been answered with the birth of Shravi, only for their hopes to be dashed in an accident that has now stolen everything from them. Ranjana, still unconscious and unaware of the tragic losses she has suffered, also suffered the amputation of a leg.
For family members, the pain is unbearable. “All the prayers and hard work of the parents that were put into bringing the child into this world have met a fatal end,” said Ankita, a relative. Ranjana, who is still unconscious, has no clue how fate cruelly snatched her family away in the blink of an eye.
Driver looked drunk, then how was his
blood test negative, asks GRIEVING KIN
PANJIM: The blood alcohol report and the breathalyser test of the driver, Wilson Santano De Araujo, involved in the tragic Agassaim SUV accident has come back negative. However, family members of the victims have expressed disbelief over the findings.
Ankita Naik, Rajesh’s cousin, voiced her concern over the investigation’s handling. “Everyone who witnessed the accident said the driver was drunk and not in a condition to drive. The delay in conducting the alcohol test may have contributed to the negative results,” she said. “After a fatal accident, the test should have been done immediately, not after a seven-day delay.”
Ankita also questioned the accuracy of the breathalyser test, suggesting that it could easily be manipulated. “It’s not difficult to cheat the breath analyzer,” she added. “There are many ways to manipulate the tests, and there’s no mention of the driver being under the influence. We know that laws can be bent to one’s will, but if the law cannot deliver justice for an innocent man and a child who never even had a chance to speak, then everything is pointless. In cases of fatal accidents, the blood report should be made available to the police within 24 hours of the incident, so that police can add relevant sections for drink driving.”
