A Pune sessions court on Wednesday remanded the father of a 17-year-old juvenile allegedly involved in a car accident and two employees of a pub in police custody until May 24, 2024.
The teenage boy’s father, identified as a real estate developer, and the employees of Black Club pub named Nitesh Shevani and Jayesh Gavkar, were presented before Additional Sessions Judge S P Ponkshe.
Prior to the accident, the teenager purportedly consumed alcohol at the pub.
The police have filed a case against the teenager’s father under sections 75 and 77 of the Juvenile Justice Act, and also against the owner and employees of two bars the boy visited before the accident on Sunday for “serving alcohol to an underage person.” Section 75 pertains to the “willful neglect of a child, or exposing a child to mental or physical illnesses,” while section 77 relates to supplying a child with intoxicating liquor or drugs.
As per the FIR, the real estate developer, despite knowing that his son lacked a driving license, purportedly bestowed upon him a car, thus jeopardizing his safety. Additionally, the developer allegedly permitted his son to engage in revelry despite being aware of his consumption of alcohol.
Fatal Consequences
A group of friends were reportedly returning on motorcycles around 3.15 am on Sunday subsequent to a celebration when the allegedly speeding Porsche, purportedly driven by the son, collided with one of the motorcycles at Kalyani Nagar junction. The collision resulted in the demise of two riders, a male and a female, both aged 24. While the son has been released on bail, the father was apprehended from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
Prosecution’s Demand for Custody
The prosecution sought seven days of police custody for the father and two others, contending that they needed to investigate why the father permitted his son to operate the car, which lacked a number plate. They also aimed to probe why the man absconded following the registration of a case against his son. When apprehended, he possessed a simple, no-frills mobile phone, prompting the need to ascertain the whereabouts of his other devices, stated the public prosecutor.
Further Investigation and Legal Proceedings
In their bid for police custody for Jayesh Gavkar, an employee at Hotel Black Club, the prosecution expressed their intent to uncover the identity behind the membership that facilitated entry for the juvenile and his companions. Allegedly, the driver of the Porsche, present during the accident, offered to take the wheel, but the boy declined, as per the prosecution’s claim. Following deliberations, the judge ordered the three accused to remain in police custody until May 24, 2024.
Meanwhile, the Juvenile Justice Board summoned the boy to appear before it on Wednesday, subsequent to a police petition seeking a review of its bail decision.
