CURTORIM: Four and a half months after a married couple from Maina-Curtorim village was killed in a road accident; the family of the deceased, especially the orphaned ten-year-old daughter is yet to recover from that horrific tragedy.
It may be recalled that on January 17, 2022, the two victims, Kennedy D’Costa, aged 34, and his wife Noella D’Costa, aged 28, were on their way home on their two-wheeler when they were rammed into by a four-wheeler driven by Nathaniel Menezes from Curtorim.
The impact of the collision was so strong that the couple flung off from the two-wheeler while their bike got dragged for some distance too. The car had rammed into a parked bus as well.
This incident took place on Gandhi Road in Curtorim and locals had gathered at the site demanding justice.
Today, the family is still suffering and awaiting justice. The only child of the deceased, Angel, is living with her grandmother Mathilda, a senior citizen in Curtorim and their lives have never been the same since that fateful day in January.
When Herald visited Angel, she was holding a photo of her parents and speaking about how she missed her parents. Angel was holding back tears while talking about her parents and recounting memories she had of them. Her broken-hearted grandmother Mathilda spoke fondly of her late son and daughter-in-law and her grandchild is still trying to come to terms with the fact that she can no longer meet, see, hug her parents and be with them.
“She (my granddaughter) says I love you, mama, I love you dada I miss you. She talks about this all the time, “said Mathilda.
Mathilda added that she along with the close relatives of the deceased looked after Angel.
However, she pointed out that both Kennedy and Noella were working and had their incomes to support themselves and their daughter but now that financial support has also gone.
Adv Seoula Vas, who is representing the family, concurred with Mathilda about the financial future, as well as the well-being of the orphaned child is the topmost priority given that the child will have expenses to bear such as her education, etc.
“It is very unfortunate that our criminal justice system leaves out the victim and the victim’s family. This is something here that has taken away the peace of the entire family” said Seoula, while providing details about this case.
Seoula further added that the late Kennedy and Noella could have had more children if they were still alive and had deprived the orphaned child of a sibling too.
“We were following up with the police for a long time and now we have come to know that the charge sheet has been filed just recently. After the notices are sent, the matter will be listed. We have not yet received a copy of it and this is exactly what we want to fight. All the time it is seen that the victims have to run around for documentation, for information in their own matter when they are the ones who are the most affected,” Seoula added.
Seoula further criticized how the family of the accused has been behaving since this incident with regard to the plight of the late Kennedy’s family.
It may be recalled that at the time of the incident Maina Curtorim police had informed media persons that Menezes had been arrested for rash and negligent driving, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and under the provision of the Motor Vehicle Act. Blood samples of the accused were also taken.
Meanwhile, the accused 24-year-old Nathaniel Menezes from Maina-Curtorim is out on bail as the offenses registered against him were bailable ones.
