The Juvenile Justice Board has granted bail to the teenager involved in a fatal car crash in Pune on Sunday, May 19. This incident involved a speeding Porsche, driven by the 17-year-old boy identified as Vedant Agarwal, that collided with a motorcycle, resulting in the deaths of two individuals.
The shocking release of the minor with certain conditions within 15 hours of the crime is what made this case called out on social media platforms by many.
The teenager’s bail conditions include working with the traffic police in Yerawada for 15 days and writing an essay detailing the car accident. Additionally, he must undergo medical treatment to help him quit drinking and attend psychiatric counselling sessions.
Prashant Patil, the advocate representing the teenager, stated, “The juvenile accused, who was arrested by Pune Police, has been granted bail by the Juvenile Justice Board with specific conditions. These include working with the Yerawada traffic police for 15 days, writing an essay on the accident, receiving medical treatment to quit drinking, and undergoing psychiatric counselling.”
The conditions include:
- Accused to submit a 300-word essay on the topic ‘Effect of road accident and their solution’
- Parents to ensure that he does not repeat the same offence
- Parents to keep the accused away from joining any ‘bad company’
- Accused to study the traffic rules and submit a report within 15 days
- Mandatory counselling for the accused
- Parents to ensure his presence before the Juvenile Justice Board
The tragic accident claimed the lives of 24-year-olds Aneesh Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta, both software engineers from Madhya Pradesh working in Pune. The incident occurred in the early hours of May 19, when the Porsche, driven by the teenager, crashed into their motorcycle. Following the accident, Pune police detained the boy, who is reportedly from a prominent real estate family in Pune.
Amitesh Kumar, Commissioner of Pune City Police, confirmed that the minor was booked for culpable homicide under Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Furthermore, the boy’s father and the bar that served him alcohol are facing charges under Sections 75 and 77 of the Juvenile Justice Act. Section 75 pertains to the willful assault, abandonment, or neglect of a child by someone in charge of the child, while Section 77 deals with providing liquor or drugs to a minor.
Additional charges under the IPC and the Motor Vehicle Act have also been filed against the teenager. The police are investigating whether he was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash, with his blood samples sent for analysis. They are also looking into the details of the Porsche and why the vehicle lacked a registration number plate.
The accident occurred around 3:15 am in Kalyani Nagar, involving a group of friends who were returning home on their motorbikes after attending a party at a nearby restaurant. Near the Kalyani Nagar junction, a speeding luxury car struck one of the motorcycles, causing its two riders to fall and die instantly, as detailed in the FIR.
After hitting the motorcycle, the minor lost control and collided with the roadside pavement railings. A video that surfaced on social media shows a group of people attacking the minor driver as he attempted to exit the vehicle.
The 17-year-old son of a prominent builder from Pune took the lives of two IT people by driving a Porsche taycan car worth Rs 4 crore.
The court grants bail to the accused within a few hours and asks him to write an essay on the accident.
The Indian Judiciary system applies… pic.twitter.com/pzqcI3Ufas
— Radhika Chaudhary (@Radhika8057) May 20, 2024
The owner of the car has been charged under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including Section 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way), Section 304A (causing death by negligence), Section 337 (causing hurt by act endangering human life), and Section 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life). Provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act were also applied.
The police investigation revealed that the accused, who had recently passed his Class 12 board exams, had attended a party with friends at a bar and pub in the Mundhwa area, where he consumed alcohol. He was driving home when the incident occurred.
According to the police, the teenager was driving the Porsche at high speed and lost control, crashing into the motorcycle driven by Awadhiya at the Kalyani Nagar junction around 2:30 am. The collision was so severe that Awadhiya and Costa, who was riding pillion, were thrown onto the road and died on the spot.
Awadhiya, a resident of the Airport area, and Costa, who lived in Kharadi, had also been partying with friends in Kalyani Nagar. After leaving the pub, they chatted with friends before heading home on their motorcycle, when they were hit by the Porsche.
A senior police officer noted that both victims were employed in an IT company in Pune, although Costa had recently resigned and was seeking new employment.
The police stated that the pubs visited by the deceased and the accused had closed on time at 1:30 am, highlighting the illegality of serving alcohol to minors.
The accused was presented before the holiday court in Pune on Sunday afternoon. The police sought custody and requested permission to try him as an adult.
However, the court refused this request and granted bail with conditions, as stated by Manoj Patil, Additional Commissioner of Police.
Prashant Patil, the accused’s lawyer, explained that the court imposed specific conditions for bail. The accused is required to work with the Yerwada traffic police for 15 days and write an essay about the accident. Additionally, he must undergo medical treatment to help him quit drinking and attend psychiatric counselling, with progress reports to be submitted to the court.
Residents of Koregaon Park and Kalyani Nagar gathered to offer condolences for the tragic deaths of Ashwini Costa and Anis Awadhiya. The two young lives were lost when a speeding car, driven by the underage son of a reputed builder, struck them in the Kalyani Nagar area last night.
The incident has garnered significant attention in the city, especially since the driver was granted bail just 15 hours after the accident. The charges filed against him were under bailable sections, raising public concern and outrage.
