Pune: The father of a 17-year-old involved in a fatal Porsche accident that killed two people has been arrested by Pune Police in Maharashtra’s Aurangabad. Additionally, bar owners who served alcohol to the minors have also been detained.
The accident occurred early Sunday morning in Pune’s Kalyani Nagar. According to police reports, the luxury Porsche, driven by the 17-year-old, collided with a motorcycle, instantly killing Anis Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta. CCTV footage shows the car travelling at an estimated speed of 200 km/h in a narrow lane.
The case has been transferred to the Crime Branch of Pune Police. The boy’s father faces charges under sections 75 and 77 of the Juvenile Justice Act, related to willful neglect and providing intoxicating substances to a minor.
The victims, Anis Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta, both IT engineers, were returning from a get-together when their motorcycle was hit from behind by the speeding Porsche around 2:15 am, resulting in their immediate deaths.
Pune Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar stated that the minor was celebrating his class 12 results at a local pub and was seen consuming alcohol before the crash. The legal drinking age in Maharashtra is 25, making it illegal for the establishment to serve him. Consequently, the bar owners are facing charges for serving alcohol to a minor.
Following the Juvenile Justice Board’s decision to grant the minor bail just 15 hours after his detention, there has been significant public outcry. The board imposed rehabilitative conditions, including mandatory counseling, a de-addiction program, and a 300-word essay on road safety. This lenient response has been widely criticized due to the severity of the accident.
In response, Pune police have filed an application with the sessions court to try the juvenile as an adult, arguing that the gravity of the crime warrants harsher judicial scrutiny. “We have taken yesterday’s incident seriously and have taken action under section 304 of IPC, which is a non-bailable section as it was a heinous crime,” said Commissioner Kumar.
