Father of Pune teen, who killed 2 bikers with speeding Porsche, arrested

The 17-year-old minor was involved in a tragic car accident that claimed two lives on Sunday morning in the Kalyani Nagar area of Pune

The Pune Police have arrested the father of the 17-year-old boy, involved in a tragic car accident that claimed two lives, from Aurangabad in Maharashtra.

The accident occurred around 2:15 am on Sunday morning in the Kalyani Nagar area of Pune.

According to police statements, a luxury Porsche car, driven by the 17-year-old, crashed into a motorcycle, killing Anis Awadhiya and Ashwini Costa. CCTV footage of the incident showed the car speeding at around 200 kmph through a narrow lane, according to a NDTV report.

The Pune Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar said the minor had been celebrating his class 12 results at a nearby pub, where he was seen consuming alcohol before the collision. In Maharashtra, the legal drinking age is 25, rendering the service of alcohol to him illegal. Consequently, the owners of the bar are also facing charges for serving alcohol to a minor.

The police have charged the minor with rash and negligent driving and causing harm by endangering life or personal safety under IPC Sections 304A, 279, 337, 338, and 427, as well as relevant sections of the Maharashtra Motor Vehicle Act.

Father booked under Sections 75, 77 of Juvenile Justice Act

While awaiting a verdict from the sessions court, the Pune police arrested the father of the boy, a local builder, under Sections 75 (willful neglect of a child, or exposing a child to mental or physical illnesses) and 77 of the Juvenile Justice Act (supplying a child with intoxicating liquor or drugs).

Moreover, the police have initiated legal proceedings against the pub where the minor was observed consuming alcohol.

The Porsche hit two IT professionals from Madhya Pradesh, Aneesh Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta. Eyewitnesses said Ashwini was thrown 20 ft in the air, while Aneesh was hurled into a parked car. Following the collision, bystanders rushed to the scene, and several videos have emerged showing them beating up the occupants of the vehicle, the report said.

Bail conditions

Following the arrest, the Juvenile Justice Board released the minor on bail within 15 hours. Moreover, the board imposed several rehabilitative measures, such as mandatory counselling, participation in a de-addiction programme, and a requirement to write a 300-word essay on road safety. This lenient reaction has faced widespread criticism considering the gravity of the accident.

Following the bail decision, the Pune police submitted an application to the Sessions court, advocating for the juvenile to be tried as an adult. This action is based on the premise that the seriousness of the offence necessitates more rigorous judicial examination.

“We have taken yesterday’s incident seriously. We have taken action under section 304 of the IPC, which is a non-bailable section as it was a heinous crime,” the Commissioner said.

Sanjay Raut demands removal of Pune police chief

On Tuesday, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut called for the dismissal of the Pune police commissioner following a car accident.

Raut said, "The Pune police commissioner should be sacked. Whom has he helped in this case? Two innocent persons lost their lives. The boy can be seen drinking in pub."

He further said, "This is a corrupt police system and a corrupt MLA. Whom is the police commissioner trying to save? You are giving a false report."

(With agency inputs)