PUNE: Following Maharashtra deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis’s directive, Pune police moved a sessions court Monday to seek an adult trial for the 17-year-old son of a prominent builder involved in a high-speed accident. Two software engineers were killed in the crash that took place around 2.30am Sunday near a pub when the Porsche Taycan the teen was driving hit their motorcycle at 160kmph.
Police registered a second FIR that says: “The teenager told police that his father gave him the car to drive. He does not have a valid driving licence and is not trained to drive a car or the Porsche EV. His father knew his son did not have a valid driving licence, permitted him to party, and knew that he consumes alcohol.”
Pune teen could face 10 years in jail as cops seek stricter punishment | page 12
The second FIR was registered against the owners, a manager, and a bartender of two pubs the teenager and his friends visited, as well as the boy’s father. The first FIR also includes a charge against the father for allowing his underage son to drive.
The builder did not visit Yerawada police station, where his son was detained, or the office of the Pune crime branch investigating the case against him for allowing the boy to drive the electric luxury sports sedan, priced between Rs 1.61 crore and Rs 2.44 crore in India, officers said Monday.
Detained after the crash that killed Aneesh Awadhia and Ashwini Koshta, both 24 and from Jabalpur in MP, the teenager was released on bail late Sunday afternoon by Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) with conditions. JJB had rejected police’s plea for his trial as an adult and also didn’t specify any time frame for the teenager to report at RTO.
JJB had directed him to study traffic rules at the regional transport office (RTO), write a 300-word essay on “effects of road accidents and their solution,” and assist RTO officers for 15 days. He must also attend external deaddiction counselling and consult with a psychologist and psychiatrist.
However, the teen faces stricter legal provisions following the latest police move. “We have approached the sessions court to replace section 304-A (causing death by rash and negligent driving) with the more stringent section 304 (culpable homicide) of IPC,” said Pune police commissioner Amitesh Kumar.
If section 304-A from the first FIR is replaced with section 304, the maximum punishment could be up to 10 years, compared to two years under 304-A. Sections 337 and 338 of IPC carry a maximum punishment of two years each. If tried as a minor, the teenager may receive a lesser sentence, but if the sessions court clears his trial as an adult, he could face a full term of punishment upon conviction.
According to senior lawyer Balasaheb Khopade, “As per the new provisions of Central Motor Vehicles Act, the minor’s parents can be tried as an abettor. JJB can give permission to police to try the minor boy as an adult if he is involved in heinous crimes like the Nirbhaya case.”
Police chief Kumar said the teenager had “confessed before the board (JJB) to his addiction to liquor. Despite this, he was driving the car without any legal eligibility…at a speed of 160kmph when it hit the motorcycle”. The car’s speed lock has shown its last speed, he added.
Kumar said police have gathered considerable evidence, including CCTV footage from the two pubs visited by the teenager and his four friends, as well as the route they took to the accident site. “The boy is seen drinking in the CCTV footage. He and his friends arrived at the first pub at 10.40pm, where they were served liquor. They left at 12.10am after the pub stopped serving alcohol and then moved to another nearby pub, staying there until 2am before heading home.”
In response to accusations of favouritism towards the teenager at Yerawada police station, which allegedly let him off lightly, deputy CM Fadnavis said: “I have told (Amitesh Kumar) to appeal against the Judicial Magistrate First Class order and to verify CCTV footage at the police station to investigate the accusations of favouritism.” He also added that strict action should be “taken against the pubs and bars and if violation is spotted by them, they should also be made co-accused”.
When asked about allegations of preferential treatment given to the boy at the police station, Kumar responded: “I am personally reviewing the CCTV footage of the station. If any preferential treatment is found, I will suspend the entire staff of the police station.”
Police had collected the driver’s blood samples to check for alcohol. “Two separate tests were conducted. We are awaiting the reports,” Kumar said.
Police registered a second FIR that says: “The teenager told police that his father gave him the car to drive. He does not have a valid driving licence and is not trained to drive a car or the Porsche EV. His father knew his son did not have a valid driving licence, permitted him to party, and knew that he consumes alcohol.”
Pune teen could face 10 years in jail as cops seek stricter punishment | page 12
The second FIR was registered against the owners, a manager, and a bartender of two pubs the teenager and his friends visited, as well as the boy’s father. The first FIR also includes a charge against the father for allowing his underage son to drive.
The builder did not visit Yerawada police station, where his son was detained, or the office of the Pune crime branch investigating the case against him for allowing the boy to drive the electric luxury sports sedan, priced between Rs 1.61 crore and Rs 2.44 crore in India, officers said Monday.
Detained after the crash that killed Aneesh Awadhia and Ashwini Koshta, both 24 and from Jabalpur in MP, the teenager was released on bail late Sunday afternoon by Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) with conditions. JJB had rejected police’s plea for his trial as an adult and also didn’t specify any time frame for the teenager to report at RTO.
JJB had directed him to study traffic rules at the regional transport office (RTO), write a 300-word essay on “effects of road accidents and their solution,” and assist RTO officers for 15 days. He must also attend external deaddiction counselling and consult with a psychologist and psychiatrist.
However, the teen faces stricter legal provisions following the latest police move. “We have approached the sessions court to replace section 304-A (causing death by rash and negligent driving) with the more stringent section 304 (culpable homicide) of IPC,” said Pune police commissioner Amitesh Kumar.
If section 304-A from the first FIR is replaced with section 304, the maximum punishment could be up to 10 years, compared to two years under 304-A. Sections 337 and 338 of IPC carry a maximum punishment of two years each. If tried as a minor, the teenager may receive a lesser sentence, but if the sessions court clears his trial as an adult, he could face a full term of punishment upon conviction.
According to senior lawyer Balasaheb Khopade, “As per the new provisions of Central Motor Vehicles Act, the minor’s parents can be tried as an abettor. JJB can give permission to police to try the minor boy as an adult if he is involved in heinous crimes like the Nirbhaya case.”
Police chief Kumar said the teenager had “confessed before the board (JJB) to his addiction to liquor. Despite this, he was driving the car without any legal eligibility…at a speed of 160kmph when it hit the motorcycle”. The car’s speed lock has shown its last speed, he added.
Kumar said police have gathered considerable evidence, including CCTV footage from the two pubs visited by the teenager and his four friends, as well as the route they took to the accident site. “The boy is seen drinking in the CCTV footage. He and his friends arrived at the first pub at 10.40pm, where they were served liquor. They left at 12.10am after the pub stopped serving alcohol and then moved to another nearby pub, staying there until 2am before heading home.”
In response to accusations of favouritism towards the teenager at Yerawada police station, which allegedly let him off lightly, deputy CM Fadnavis said: “I have told (Amitesh Kumar) to appeal against the Judicial Magistrate First Class order and to verify CCTV footage at the police station to investigate the accusations of favouritism.” He also added that strict action should be “taken against the pubs and bars and if violation is spotted by them, they should also be made co-accused”.
When asked about allegations of preferential treatment given to the boy at the police station, Kumar responded: “I am personally reviewing the CCTV footage of the station. If any preferential treatment is found, I will suspend the entire staff of the police station.”
Police had collected the driver’s blood samples to check for alcohol. “Two separate tests were conducted. We are awaiting the reports,” Kumar said.