Pune Builder’s 17-year-old son was arrested by the Crime Branch
Following a massive public uproar over the quick bail granted to the 17-year-old minor involved in the horrific Porsche crash in Pune on May 19, the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) reversed its decision on Tuesday. The board ordered police to transport the minor to the Nehru Udyog Kendra Observation Home at Yerwada until June 5.
CCTV footage of the crash shows the minor’s unregistered Porsche Taycan speeding up to 150 km/h in Pune’s Kalyani Nagar around 2:30 AM on Sunday, May 19. He had just left the Blak Club Pub, and was heavily intoxicated while celebrating his 12th standard results with friends.
Speed thrils but Kills😡#Shocking CCTV footage emerges
Teen #Porsche driver kills 2 in #Pune crash, as punishment he gets
-Write an essay on accident.
-Work with Traffic police for 15 days. #RoadAccident #Accident #Phase5 #DeepikaPadukone #helicoptercrash#RaveParty #heatwave pic.twitter.com/AqjHg1E4qU— Jasmeen Kaur (@JasmeenIndian) May 20, 2024
In his inebriated state, he lost control of the car and hit two motorcyclists from behind, killing them instantly. The deceased were identified as Anish Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta, both IT professionals from Madhya Pradesh in their early 20’s. Following the accident, the minor initially attempted to flee the scene but was apprehended by bystanders, who restrained him before handing him over to the police.
Justice Juvenile Board finally cancels the bail granted to Vedant who ki1Ied two people by hitting them with his Porsche car in #Pune.
Excise department has sealed Cos*e and Bl*k Cl*bs in Koregaon Park, Pune for serving alcohol to minors.
I feel sad for Ashwini Koshta & Aneesh… pic.twitter.com/7X99jMwLux— SK Chakraborty (@sanjoychakra) May 22, 2024
After a 15-hour interrogation by the JJB, he was initially released on bail on May 19. However, once the video of the accident went viral on the internet, thousands of users voiced their outrage over the board’s lenient treatment of the minor. According to PTI, the minor was instructed to visit the Regional Transport Office, submit a presentation to the board within 15 days, write a 300-word essay on road accidents, and join a deaddiction program to quit drinking.
This perceived leniency sparked widespread anger among netizens, who demanded more stringent punishments for the minor, given his responsibility for the deaths of two individuals. Opposition parties also criticized the board’s ruling and called for the sacking of the police commissioner for shielding the minor.
Netizens also pointed out that the unregistered vehicle was delivered from Bengaluru and had been running on the streets of Pune for the past 7 months, yet no action was taken by the police. The tragic incident has raised awareness about unlawful practices by the rich that often go unpunished, just not this time.
The minor’s father has also been arrested by police
The minor’s father, Vishal Agarwal (50), a prominent builder in Pune, was arrested by Crime Branch officers from Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in the early hours of Monday.
The Pune Police Commissioner reported that Agarwal, who had been absconding, was transported back to Pune to face trial under sections 75 and 77 of the juvenile acts.
Pune police also raided two separate restaurants, Cosie Restaurant and Blak Restaurant, where the minor and his friends had gone on Saturday and Sunday for drinks.
The owner of Cosie Restaurant, Naman Bhatuda (25) and manager Sachin Katkar (35) as well as two managers of Blak Restaurant, Jayesh Bonkar and Sandip Sangale (34) have also been booked under the same offenses by investigators.
When Agarwal arrived in court on police transport on Wednesday, the members of the Vande Mataram organization threw ink on the builder while chanting slogans. The other accused were also presented in court on Wednesday, where they were sentenced to remain in police custody till May 24.
Currently, police officials are deciding whether to charge the minor as an adult to punish him in the fullest extent of the law. As of today, the accused faces charges under IPC sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 304A (causing death by negligence), 337 (causing injury by an act endangering human life), and 338 (causing grievous injury by an act endangering life or personal safety), as well as several other sections of the Motor Vehicle’s Act.
Experts state Porsche crash case a callous example of money and power
Political experts have argued that the initial bail granted to the minor involved in the crash is a callous example of how money and power can reduce justice to a joke.
Why this is not just an accident but a murder:
1. The car was unregistered; the showroom delivered the car without registration., police failed
2. The parents allowed a minor to drive without a license.
3. The club owner served alcohol and admitted a minor.#Pune_Porsche_crash pic.twitter.com/1knZzUOhqU— Meenu Jha (@MeenuJha0211) May 22, 2024
Given the high-profile background of the accused, he managed to secure bail despite ending two lives. It wasn’t until the incident’s video went viral that netizens started pointing out the discrepancies between initial police and bystander statements.
Eyewitnesses who apprehended the teen at the scene reported a strong smell of alcohol, yet initial police records showed his blood alcohol report as negative.
This raises questions about the potential falsification of official records due to power and money. Although the current course of the case suggests that the teen won’t be able to evade charges, it is also true that public opinion played a more crucial role in serving justice while the courts failed.
