Pune: The father of the 17-year-old boy involved in a fatal car accident that killed two people has been arrested by Pune Police from Maharashtra’s Aurangabad. The accident took place in the early hours of Sunday morning in Pune’s Kalyani Nagar area. According to police reports, a luxury Porsche, driven by the 17-year-old, collided with a motorcycle, instantly killing Anis Awadhiya and Ashwini Costa. The crash, captured on CCTV, revealed the car travelling at an estimated speed of 200 kmph in a narrow lane.
According to Pune Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar, the minor had been celebrating his class 12 results at a local pub, where he 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 also facing charges for serving alcohol to a minor.
The aftermath of the incident has been marked by intense public outcry, particularly following the Juvenile Justice Board’s decision to grant the minor bail just 15 hours after his detention. The board also imposed a series of rehabilitative conditions, including mandatory counselling, a de-addiction program, and a 300-word essay on road safety. This lenient response has been widely criticised given the severity of the accident.
In response to the bail decision, Pune police have filed an application with the sessions court to try the juvenile as an adult. This move is grounded in the belief that the crime’s gravity warrants harsher judicial scrutiny. “We have taken yesterday’s incident seriously. We have taken action under section 304 of IPC, which is a non-bailable section as it was a heinous crime,” said Commissioner Kumar.
While awaiting a decision from the sessions court, Pune police have also arrested the boy’s father, a prominent local builder, under sections 75 and 77 of the Juvenile Justice Act. These sections pertain to willful neglect of a child and providing intoxicating substances to a minor, respectively. The arrest underscores the police’s commitment to holding all responsible parties accountable, regardless of their social or economic status.
Additionally, the police have initiated legal action against the pub where the minor was seen drinking. The proprietors face serious charges for their role in providing alcohol to the minor boy, contributing to the tragic events that followed.