PANJIM: Fifteen days after pop singer Remo’s son Jonah Fernandes caused an accident in which a minor girl was injured, the Mapusa police registered an FIR against him on December 15.
According to Mapusa police records, Jonah knocked down a minor girl from Malvan, while driving along the National Highway 17 at Guirim, on December 1. However, the FIR against him was registered only on December 15. He is booked under Sections 279 and 338 of IPC. Tushar Lotlikar, police inspector, in-charge of Mapusa police station has justified delay in registering the FIR saying that they investigated the case for 15 days to ascertain the facts.
“It is not deliberate delay, inquiry was going on, it happens is most of the accident cases,” PI Lotlikar said.
Sources at the Mapusa Police Station said that the case was initially probed by a head constable, but now it is been handed over to a police sub-inspector following direction from higher ups.
Jonah was arrested and released on bail on the same day (December 15) the FIR was roistered against him.
Police sources revealed that despite investigating the case for 15 days, Jonah was not subjected to any medical test to ascertain whether he was under the influence of alcohol or any other intoxicants.
Jonah, who deposed before Agacaim Police as a witness in a case against his father Remo, has said that he is a French national. Sources at the Agacaim and Mapusa Police Station have confirmed the nationality of Jonah and that he is holding an OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) card. He will again appear as a witness before Agacaim Police, on December 26. Remo has been booked for abusing the minor girl at GMC, Bambolim.
Meanwhile, Congress party leaders met the accident victim girl who is under treatment at GMC and offered financial help, on Christmas Day.
Churchill Alemao also visited the victim girl at GMC and offered her financial help.
