panji, Jan 1
A 21-year-old pursuing B.Com at a college in Goa’s Panaji died after his motorcycle fell into a trench, which had been dug for sewerage work under the the Panaji Smart City Project.
Police identified the deceased as Ayush Halarnkar, a second-year student of commerce at Dhempe College of Arts and Science. Police said he left home in Ribandar early Monday morning, around 3 am, on his Royal Enfield and went to Mala to meet a friend. Around 3.45 am, his motorcycle allegedly crashed into some wooden planks and fell into the ditch, said police.
goa student death Ayush Halarnkar, the deceased. (Special arrangement)
“He was rushed to a hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. The body was handed over to the family after post-mortem. They have not filed a complaint,” said an officer. Neighbours and relatives claimed the dug up area was uncovered and not marked by adequate barricading, proper signage or reflector tapes. “Had there been reflector tapes or barricading to indicate the road had been dug up, this tragedy could have been averted. A young life has been cut short,” said a relative.
Gurudas, a neighbour, said, “He was a bright student, quite jovial. I saw him chatting with his friends around midnight near his house.”
A government official associated with the Smart City Project said, “Prima facie, there is no negligence. The dug up area had double-barricading. It seems the motorcyclist drove through the barricades at high speed. We are reviewing CCTV footage.”
Ayush’s father, Rupesh Halarnkar, a former councillor of the Corporation of the City of Panaji, said, “I do not know what happened. We are in a state of shock.”
Opposition leaders alleged negligence on part of government authorities. Congress’s Yuri Alemao, Leader of Opposition in the Goa Assembly, posted online, “Urban Naxalism of BJP Goa Govt’s Smart City work takes away another innocent life. New year begins with darkness in a family due to gross negligence and arrogance of Govt. No more excuses, fix responsibilities and act against those responsible.” AAP Goa president Amit Palekar demanded an FIR against the contractor. Last month, giving an update on the project, the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs had said, “As on November 24, 2023, of 35 projects worth Rs 936.75 crore being implemented by Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited, 16 projects worth Rs 341.79 crore have been completed and 19 projects worth Rs 594.96 crore are at various stages of implementation.”
