PANAJI: The Goa Police have arrested the 21-year-old son of a Goa businessman on charges of rash and negligent driving after the luxury Mini Cooper S he was driving at high speed collided with a motorcycle, killing Diksha Barwadkar, 23, an employee working at the Taj Convention Centre.
The incident occurred in Dona Paula, an upscale area in the capital, Panjim, on Sunday evening.
Police said Barwadkar, who was returning home from work after her shift, likely died on the spot, while her colleague D Arunkumar, who was riding the motorcycle, was seriously injured.
The police said the accused was identified as Darius Dias, 21, son of Goa-based businessman Andrew Dias, who runs several businesses including a bakery, cafe, hotels, etc. He was driving at high speed at the time of the accident.
“After the accident, the two injured victims were taken for treatment. While Arunkumar sustained serious injuries, Diksha was declared dead on arrival. We have registered a case against the driver and placed him under arrest,” a police official said.
Barwadkar, who hails from Barwad village in the Western Ghats located in Karnataka state along the southern border of Goa, was working at Taj Resort and Convention Center in Dona Paula, a business hotel and was working at the front desk.
According to police, the two drove more than 50 meters from the scene of the accident, which occurred just outside the hotel gate, indicating that the sports car was traveling at speed.
“The car was brand new and was likely purchased a few days before the accident,” the police official said. The police have registered a case under Section 106 of BNS (causing death by negligence) along with sections under the Motor Vehicles Act related to rash and negligent driving. Police said initial blood alcohol tests were negative, but blood samples were still being tested.
