2 min readPanajiApr 6, 2026 07:20 PM IST
A 23-year-old woman was killed while her colleague suffered critical injuries after a motorcycle on which they were travelling was allegedly hit by a Mini Cooper on Sunday night in Dona Paula in Panaji.
Darius Dias, the 22-year-old son of Andrew Dias, a local businessman who runs several businesses, including a bakery and hotels, has been held.
Darius was allegedly driving the Mini Cooper, which had a temporary registration number as it was a recent purchase, police said.
Police identified the deceased as Diksha Gopal Parwadkar, a native of Parward in Karnataka. Her colleague, D Arunkumar, 26, who was riding the motorcycle, is undergoing treatment at a private hospital. Police said both worked as front desk executives at the Taj Resort and Convention Centre, and were returning from work when the incident took place.
According to police, the incident occurred around midnight when Dias, in his new Mini Cooper, was allegedly driving from Dona Paula towards Bambolim. Police said the motorcycle was crossing the road to get to the main road, while the Mini Cooper was headed straight.
“After the collision, both the victims were rushed to a private hospital,” a police officer said.
Police said the victims were flung several metres on impact. Parwadkar, who was riding pillion, was declared dead on arrival, while Arunkumar sustained serious injuries. The airbags of the Mini Cooper deployed on impact, and the bonnet and windshield were damaged, police said.
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Police said that a blood sample of the accused has been sent to the laboratory, and a report is awaited.
Police said an FIR has been registered against the driver of the Mini Cooper under Section 106 (causing death by negligence) and other relevant provisions of the BNS. The accused has been detained and is being questioned.
