The police have filed a case against the father of the 17-year-old Pune boy who killed two people while driving a Porsche at high-speed and under the influence of alcohol. The pub where the minor boy was served alcohol also faces a police case, sources told NDTV Monday evening.
The father and the pub face charges under Section 75 and 77 of the Juvenile Justice Act.
The former deals with the willful neglect of a child, or exposing a child to mental or physical illnesses, for which punishment can stretch to a three-year jail term and a fine of Rs 1 lakh.
The latter deals with supplying a child with intoxicating liquor, or any narcotics or drugs, unless prescribed by a qualified medical practitioner, and those convicted could face up to seven years in jail.
READ | 17-Year-Old Crashes Speeding Porsche Into Bike In Pune, 2 Killed: Cops
The minor boy has been charged with rash and negligent driving, and causing harm by endangering the life or personal safety of others, which carries a maximum of two years in jail and a fine.
A senior Pune police officer confirmed that the minor boy has been arrested.
According to witnesses, the accident took place at 2.15 am. The speeding Porsche – reportedly driven at 200 km per hour – rammed a bike driven by Aneesh Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta, both 24 years old. Witnesses said Ashwini was thrown 20 feet in the air and Aneesh was flung into a parked car.
Both died on the spot.
After colliding with the bike, the car hit the pavement and came to a stop.
“The accident took place around 2.15 am. The car was at full speed. The driver was fleeing after the car hit the bike, but the airbags deployed. He could not see the road and parked the car. And locals caught them. Besides the driver, there were two occupants in the car. One of them escaped. The crowd beat up the other two,” said an eyewitness, an auto-rickshaw operator waiting for a ride.
Meanwhile, in a development as shocking as the crime itself, the boy – the son of a prominent city-based realtor – was given bail within 15 hours of the incident. The court that released him declared he had to write a 300-word essay, as well as receive treatment and counselling for alcohol addiction.
READ | Boy Who Killed 2 With Porsche Got Bail In 15 Hours. Told To Write Essay
The minor boy – four months shy of turning 18, the minimum legal age to drive a car, and over seven years short of 25, the minimum legal age to drink alcohol in India – had reportedly been partying with friends; they were celebrating passing their Class 12 exams at a pub.
The Pune teen seen drinking with his friends at the pub.
Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar said the courts had been urged to treat the accused as an adult as this is a “heinous crime” and had sought his custody. The bail will challenged, he said.
READ | CCTV Shows Pune Teen Drinking In Pub Before Accident That Killed 2
Witnesses have said the boy, and his friends, were under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident. The awful incident has also sparked fury over laxity in implementing road safety laws.
Anurag Kulshrestha, who leads an NGO that works in this area, told NDTV, “There is no fear of the law. In Pune, when authorities tried to enforce the helmet rule, all political parties came out to protest. We are living in an undisciplined society.”
NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.
