Prosecution fails to prove rash and negligent driving, accused let off

Panaji: A North Goa court acquitted Sushant Naik for causing death by negligence in 2018 at Arambol, where he allegedly rammed his scooter into another one, resulting in the death of a 50-year-old woman pillion rider while she was undergoing treatment at GMC.The prosecution stated that Naik suddenly took a U-turn to go towards Arambol without showing an indicator and dashed into a scooter. Due to the impact, the occupants fell on the road, and the pillion rider later succumbed to injuries.The court stated that the prosecution failed to prove that the accident occurred due to Naik’s rash and negligent riding, and therefore, he was liable to be acquitted. The court observed that, as per the Motor Vehicle Inspection reports, there were several damages to the other vehicle, whereas there was no damage to Naik’s vehicle.“It is the case of the prosecution that the accident occurred due to impact between the vehicle of the accused and that of the informant. If the case of the prosecution is believed to be true, then one fails to understand why there was no damage caused to the vehicle of the accused,” stated Judicial Magistrate First Class, Pernem, Shabnam Pratap Nagvekar.The court added that although the prosecution proved that on Nov 19, 2018, there was an accident in which the pillion rider died, the it failed to prove that the accident occurred due to rash and negligent riding by the accused.