Panaji, Aug 9 (IANS): A court in Goa's Ponda on Wednesday granted interim protection to Meghana Sawardekar, the owner of the Mercedes car, which mowed down and killed three villagers on Sunday night.
"The applicant is granted interim protection/bail until disposal of application for anticipatory bail on merits. In the event of arrest of the applicant, she shall be released upon executing personal bond of Rs 20,000 and one surety of like amount.
"The applicant shall co-operate in the investigation of the crime. She shall not tamper with the evidence directly or indirectly. She shall not influence witnesses," Additional Sessions Judge, Panaji, sitting at Ponda, Cholu M. Gauns, said in the order.
The next hearing is scheduled on August 16.
Enraged at the death of fellow villagers, hundreds of people from Divar village on Tuesday had gathered outside the police demanding arrest of Sawardekar, claiming she was driving the vehicle, and not her husband when the accident took place.
On Sunday night, three persons were killed and three others sustained critical injuries after a speeding Mercedes rammed into three cars and 2 two-wheelers while heading towards Panaji on the Banastari bridge in Ponda taluka, 17 km from here.
After the accident, the people present at the site told reporters that a woman was driving the car. However, the police have arrested a man.
As per police, the driver of the car Paresh Sinai Sawardekar, 48, the husband of Meghana, has been arrested.
The dead were identified as Suresh Fadte, 58, and his wife Bhawana, 52, from Divar-Cumbarjua, as well as Anup Karmarkar, 26, from Bandora in Marcaim.