Delhi Man Runs Over Woman In Goa After Altercation Over Dogs, Arrested

Police interrogation revealed that the accused was "worried" that the woman's family would attack him using a coconut cutting tool. He said he "blanked out" after sitting behind the wheel.

A 65-year-old woman died after being run over by a 23-year-old man from Delhi in North Goa’s Mandrem late Friday night. The man was arrested for murder after he allegedly ran over the woman following an altercation with her and her family.

Police said they received information regarding an accident in Junaswada area under Mandrem police station’s jurisdiction, wherein a woman was injured by a speeding car. The woman, identified as Maria Joao Fernandes, sold coconuts. She later succumbed to the injuries, the Indian Express reported.

The accused, Deepan Batra, belongs to Delhi's Paschim Vihar and had been staying in Goa since December 2023. Police said he earlier worked as a chef in Dubai and was currently working on a "self-funded film project" in the state.

Fernandes and her family members reportedly got into an altercation with the accused man and his family on Friday night. A police officer told the Indian Express that both the families have dogs and that they had been getting into petty arguments over the issue of walking the dogs in the past few days.

The accused and his parents were going for a walk on Friday when an argument started with the victim’s son, who expressed objection to the former walking his dog close to their house. "The argument escalated and some blows were exchanged. In the scuffle, people from both sides suffered injuries," police said.

Following the flight, the accused sat in his car with his parents to go towards the beach. However, he "deliberately hit the victim while she was trying to place a chair outside her home".

The accused then drove to the Mandrem police station and surrendered. Police seized the car involved in the incident and the car driver was arrested. 

Preliminary interrogation revealed that the accused was "worried" that the woman's family would attack him using a coconut cutting tool. He told the police that he had "blanked out" after sitting behind the wheel, a police officer, requesting anonymity, told Indian Express. 

A forensic examination of the crime scene and the vehicle has been conducted. Police have registered an FIR under sections 103 (murder) and 281 (rash driving or riding on a public way) of BNS 2023.