An Indian Navy employee, Naganesh Bandi, 32, from Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, was arrested by the Old Goa Police for a fatal hit-and-run that occurred on April 8 near Manas, Merces Circle. The accused struck Manoj Shashidharan, a 39-year-old pedestrian, and fled the scene without offering aid or informing the authorities.
According to police, the collision occurred early in the morning when Bandi was returning from a casino in Porvorim, where he had reportedly been gambling since the previous afternoon. He struck the pedestrian near a culvert between Panjim Circle and Merces Circle, and left the victim to die without assistance.
Manoj Shashidharan, originally from Kerala and a long-time Merces resident, suffered serious injuries and later succumbed at GMC Bambolim.
The police launched a full-scale investigation, collecting evidence from broken parts of the vehicle left at the scene. They identified the offending car as a silver Maruti Swift Dzire, which led them to the suspect.
Bandi had hidden the car behind his quarters at Varnapuri Naval Quarters in Dabolim and was actively shifting locations to avoid detection. Police arrested him two days after the incident, uncovering that he had attempted to conceal the vehicle to obstruct justice.
He has been charged with rash and negligent driving causing death and failing to report the accident, as per Indian law.
