Police have apprehended the father of a 17-year-old boy allegedly implicated in a car accident that resulted in the deaths of two individuals in Pune.
Arrested for Serving Alcohol to a Minor
Additionally, three executives from two hotels have been arrested for serving alcohol to the minor, officials stated on Tuesday.
The Porsche car purportedly driven by the 17-year-old, who police claim was intoxicated at the time, collided with two motorbike riders in the Kalyani Nagar area of Maharashtra’s Pune city during the early hours of Sunday, leading to their demise, according to officials.
Police Action: Apprehension and Statements
Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar mentioned, “We have detained the teenager’s father from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and he is being brought to Pune and will be arrested in the case registered against him.”
Furthermore, Pune police have detained Cosie restaurant owner Pralhad Bhutda and manager Sachin Katkar, along with Hotel Blak manager Sandip Sangle, for allegedly serving alcohol to the juvenile, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Shailesh Balkawade stated. “All will be produced in court later in the day,” he added.
During the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, the accused juvenile and his companions visited the two establishments between 9:30 pm and 1 am and purportedly consumed alcohol, police reported.
“The CCTV footage of the bar clearly shows that the juvenile was consuming alcohol. There is no doubt that the juvenile was driving the car after consuming alcohol. We will be submitting all these facts to the court,” Police Commissioner Kumar previously stated.
The police had lodged a case against the teenager’s father, a real estate developer, under sections 75 and 77 of the Juvenile Justice Act, and against the owners and staff of the bar establishments for serving alcohol to an underage person. An official had earlier mentioned that the investigation into these cases had been transferred to the crime branch.
Section 75 pertains to “willful neglect of a child, or exposing a child to mental or physical illnesses,” while section 77 concerns supplying a child with intoxicating liquor or drugs. As per the FIR filed in connection with the incident, the man, despite knowing his son did not possess a valid driving license, provided him with the car, thereby jeopardizing his life, and allowed him to party despite being aware of his alcohol consumption.
Tragic Outcome: Lives Lost
A group of friends were returning on motorcycles around 3:15 am on Sunday after a party when the speeding Porsche collided with one of the motorcycles at the Kalyani Nagar junction.
The two riders, Anis Awadhiya and Ashwini Costa, both 24-year-old IT professionals from Madhya Pradesh, succumbed to their injuries.
Subsequently, the accused teenager was presented before the Juvenile Justice Board, which granted him bail hours later. It also directed him to visit the Regional Transport Office, study traffic rules, and submit a presentation to the Board within 15 days. “The CCL (Child in Conflict with Law) will write an essay of 300 words on the topic of road accidents and their solutions,” the order stated.
As per police, a case has been filed against the youngster under section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act.
On Monday, police stated they would seek permission from a higher court to try the teenager involved in the accident as an adult.
