Pune Porsche Crash: Father of Accused Minor and Five Others Granted Bail in Juvenile Case

June 22, 2024

In a significant development related to the Porsche car crash that resulted in the deaths of two IT professionals in Pune, a sessions court granted bail on Friday to the father of the juvenile accused and five others. The accident occurred on May 19 in Kalyani Nagar, Pune, where a speeding Porsche, allegedly driven by a minor in an inebriated condition, hit a motorcycle, killing two software professionals.

The court granted bail to the father of the minor and to the owner and managers of two bars, who were accused of serving alcohol to the underage patrons. The case garnered national attention after the Juvenile Justice Board initially granted bail to the minor on lenient terms, including writing an essay on road safety.

Three separate cases were registered by the police. The primary case was related to the accident, while another case involved the bar establishments, Cosie and Blak Club, and the juvenile’s father, who allowed his underage, unlicensed son to drive despite knowing his alleged addiction to alcohol. The charges against them included Sections 75 and 77 of the Juvenile Justice Act and relevant sections of the Motor Vehicles Act. Section 77 pertains to supplying a child with intoxicating substances, applicable to the bar owners and managers, while Section 75 relates to punishment for cruelty to a child, applicable to the father.

Advocate Prashant Patil, representing the juvenile’s father, confirmed that bail was granted, noting that Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act is non-cognizable and does not warrant arrest. The court directed the juvenile’s father to abide by all conditions and cooperate with the police. Advocate S.K. Jain, representing the bar owner and staff, successfully argued for bail on the grounds that Section 77 is non-cognizable and their clients had no further involvement to be probed.

The juvenile’s parents are in judicial custody in a related case involving the alleged tampering of their son’s blood samples. Among those arrested in this case are Dr. Ajay Taware, Dr. Shrihari Halnor, and staffer Atul Ghatkamble. Additionally, an application for bail for the juvenile’s father and grandfather in a case related to the kidnapping and wrongful confinement of a driver is pending, with arguments scheduled for June 25. The juvenile remains in an observation home until June 25, following a modified order by the Juvenile Justice Board after police sought a review amid public outrage.