Pune Porsche Accident: Minor gets bail within 15 hours, JJB asks him to write an essay, police to move high court to try him as adult

Pune, May 20, 2024: The minor driver who caused an accident with his Porsche car that led to the death of two individuals was out on bail within 15 hours of the accident.

The Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) in Pune granted bail to the minor driver involved in the fatal accident, with conditions including working with traffic police for 15 days and writing an essay on the accident. Advocate Prashant Patil, representing the minor, stated that the bail order also requires the boy to undergo medical treatment and psychiatric counseling to quit drinking.

The accident occurred in the early hours of Sunday in Pune’s Kalyaninagar, where a speeding Porsche hit a motorbike, killing two individuals, Anis Awadhiya (24) and Ashwini Costa (24), both engineers from Madhya Pradesh. The accident was reported at around 2:30 AM, leading to the arrest of the 17-year-old driver.

The minor, son of a prominent real estate developer, was driving a Porsche which was not even registered with RTO. Both he and his father have been booked, along with the pub that allegedly served alcohol to the minor. The police investigations include a medical examination to determine if the minor was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident.

Following his detention, the minor was produced before the JJB, which denied the police’s request to try him as an adult. Instead, the JJB imposed several conditions for his bail, including collaborating with Yerawada traffic police, writing an essay on the incident, and undergoing medical treatment and counseling.

The lawyer of the accused, Patil emphasized the minor’s commitment to comply with the court’s conditions, stating, “We have complete faith in the investigation and shall continue to cooperate with the police agencies.”

The victims of the accident were returning home after a party when the Porsche hit their motorcycle from behind. Anis Awadhiya and Ashwini Costa died instantly, and the incident was captured on video, which went viral on social media. Due to the impact, Anis was flung in the air and banged against another parked car. Ashwini died of multiple injuries. The footage showed bystanders beating the boy after he came out of the car before he was handed over to the police.

Police commissioner Amitesh Kumar said that actions are being taken against the minor’s father and the bar that served him alcohol, under Sections 75 and 77 of the Juvenile Justice Act.

The minor driver faces charges under various sections of the IPC and the Motor Vehicles Act, including rash driving and causing death by negligence. The investigation continues as police gather further evidence related to the incident.