Body of biker who fell in Mandovi not yet found

Panaji: The police investigating into the motorcycle-SUV collision early Wednesday morning said that the rider Mohammed Nazim Aza fell off the old Mandovi bridge into the river and has not been found. His parents are suspecting foul play and said their son was a good swimmer and would have swum ashore if he had fallen into the river.

The police said search and rescue operations commenced immediately after the Panaji police station was informed about the incident. The help of navy divers was also sought.

Panaji PI Nikhil Palyekar said that the search was halted after sunset though a feeder boat took rounds.

The motorcyclist was travelling from Panaji towards Porvorim and the SUV with a Karnataka registration was travelling in the opposite direction when the accident occurred. The driver of the SUV told police that the rider was trying to adjust his hood when his two-wheeler veered to the right leading to the collision.

“We want justice. It is difficult to believe the police theory. Look at both the vehicles. We want our child back. Something looks fishy. He was wearing a helmet,” the boy’s father said.

“No arrest has been made,” said a police personnel attached to Panaji police station.

The parents questioned why the police had not sent the SUV driver for alcohol test. They also said that there were contradictory statements of the two occupants of the car at the police station. “One person said they were slow while the other said both the rider and they were fast,” said the boy’s mother.

“We want to know where our son is. He was wearing a helmet. Where is the question of adjusting the hood. The SUV is of a councillor from Karnataka,” the boy’s father said.