The Pune Porsche accident in which the teen driver of the luxury car knocked and killed two bikers on Sunday has sparked widespread outrage after the juvenile was granted bail. The father of the 17-year-old accused, reportedly a renowned Pune-based builder, has been arrested in connection with the matter.
An accident involving a Porsche in Maharashtra's Pune has hit national headlines after the driver, a 17-year-old boy, was released on bail despite knocking down two bikers in the road mishap that took place at Kalyani Nagar area of the city in the early hours of Sunday, May 19, causing the death of those on the two-wheeler.
The Police arrested Vishal Agarwal, the father of the 17-year-old boy after detention from Sambhajinagar. Agarwal is reportedly a Pune-based builder.
The Police also arrested three executives of two hotels for serving liquor to the juvenile amid widespread outrage over the case, in connection with which a CCTV visual surfaced showing the teen drinking at the bar and another surveillance camera footage captured the Porsche car speeding on the road moments before the crash.
The bar in question has also reportedly been sealed by the police.
According to police the 17-year-old was drunk when he was allegedly driving the Porsche car and killed two motorbike riders by ramming into them. The accident happened in Kalyani Nagar area around 3.15 am on Sunday.
The outrage over the incident and the quick bail to the 17-year-old accused prompted even Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis also to call for trial of the juvenile as an adult.
The Porsche car was captured moving in excessive speed in a CCTV footage from a surveillance camera on Sunday across the road moments before the accident that killed two bikers happened.
The car was reportedly being driven at 200 km per hour.
Another CCTV footage, from the pub, showed the boy drinking there. The boy reportedly went to the pub to celebrate his class 12 results hours before the crash.
The speeding Porsche killed two IT professionals from Madhya Pradesh , Aneesh Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta. Witnesses said Ashwini was thrown 20 feet in the air and Aneesh was flung into a parked car. Passersby were seen rushing to the spot after the collision.
Several videos showed locals beating up the occupants of the car and some clips of angered locals vandalising the car with bricks also surfaced.
Earlier on Tuesday, the police said that they have detained the father of the 17-year-old boy and arrested three executives of two hotels for serving liquor to the juvenile. Vishal Agarwal, the father of the accused teen driver, is reportedly the owner of the construction company Brahma Realty and Infrastructure. He was later arrested.
Besides, the Pune police have arrested Cosie restaurant owner Pralhad Bhutda and manager Sachin Katkar and Hotel Blak manager Sandip Sangle for allegedly serving alcohol to the juvenile, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Shailesh Balkawade said. "All will be produced in a court later in the day," he said.
"The CCTV footage of the bar clearly shows that the juvenile was consuming alcohol. There is no doubt that the juvenile was driving the car after consuming alcohol. We will be submitting all these facts to the court," police commissioner Kumar earlier said.
The three arrested accused have been sent to police custody till May 24 by the special court in Pune.
The police had registered a case against the teenager's father, a real estate developer, under sections 75 and 77 of the Juvenile Justice Act, and against the owners and staff members of the bar establishments for serving alcohol to an underage person.
The probe in these cases has been transferred to the crime branch, an official earlier said.
Section 75 deals with "willful neglect of a child, or exposing a child to mental or physical illnesses," while section 77 deals with supplying a child with intoxicating liquor or drugs.
According to the FIR lodged in connection with the incident, the man, despite knowing his son did not have a valid driving license, gave him the car, thus endangering the latter's life, and allowed him to party even as the father knew that he consumes liquor.
Speaking on the Pune car accident case, Pune CP Amitesh Kumar said they have filed an application in the district court that the juvenile accused should be treated like an adult as this is a "very heinous case".
"We believe that we will get a favourable order in it. The second case was registered against a total of five people including the father and the management of the pub. Three people were arrested yesterday and will be produced in the court today. His father and another accused have been taken into custody today and are being brought to Pune," he said.
"After completing the formalities they will be produced in the court tomorrow...The most stringent possible sections have been applied. If any legal expert can suggest a more stringent path than this, then I am ready for debate on any platform...Why was there no number plate on the car, all these things are being investigated,” he added.
A bail to the teen driver within 14 hours of the incident on conditions, such as writing an 'essay' and doing social work, sparked outrage, with many opposition leaders alleging that the teenager was fed pizza, burger and biryani at the police station after being detained.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut demanded that Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar should be dismissed, and claimed the teenager was served pizza and a burger at the police station after his detention.
He also accused an MLA from Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's NCP faction of being present at the police station and helping the 17-year-old.
The Sena (UBT) leader asked who might be helping the accused teen. Repeating his demand to suspend Pune Police Commissioner, Raut said otherwise the people of Pune would be compelled to take to the streets.
Reacting to the allegations, Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar said strict action would be taken if any officer was found to have helped the accused, adding that their probe has not revealed anything about the accused being fed pizza or being given preferential treatment.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis have instructed for stringent action in the case of a car accident allegedly involving a 17-year-old boy that killed two persons, Pune police chief said on Tuesday.
"The chief minister, the deputy chief minister and home minister [Devendra Fadnavis], and the [Pune] guardian minister [Deputy CM Ajit Pawar] have given clear instructions to the police to take stringent action in this case. The state Director General of Police has also instructed for strong action," PTI quoted Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar as saying.
Speaking on the incident on Tuesday, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister criticised the bail granted to the 17-year old accused and called the order of the Juvenile Justice Board "surprising".
"The incident that happened in Pune in which two people died after a car which was driven by a minor hit them. There was a huge public outrage in Pune. When the minor was presented before the Juvenile Justice Board, the board took a very lenient view on this. Despite two people being dead the accused minor was asked to do social service for 15 days," Devendra Fadnavis said.
"The outrage intensified after this. According to the application moved by the Police, it was written that the boy's age was 17 years and 8 months. This is a heinous crime. After the Nirbhaya case, the changes in the Juvenile Justice case- that if the accused is above 16 years of age and the crime is heinous, the accused can be treated as an adult...This was a surprising order passed [by the Juvenile Justice Board]...Police went to the higher court & they took cognisance," he added
(With PTI and ANI inputs)