Pune: In the Pune Porsche car accident case, Vishal Agarwal, the father of the minor accused, was granted bail by the District Court on Friday (June 21). Alongside him, five other accused, including two bar owners and managers, were also granted bail. These individuals were arrested for serving alcohol to a minor.
Aggarwal’s bail pertains to the primary case, where he faced charges under sections 75 and 77 of the Juvenile Justice Act. His lawyer, Prashant Patil, stated, “My client has been granted bail by the Pune Sessions Court. It is his duty to comply with the court’s conditions, and he will continue to cooperate with the investigating agency.”
Tragic Accident Claims Lives of Two Software Engineers
On May 19, at 3:15 pm, the minor allegedly drove a Porsche car at high speed while intoxicated, resulting in a collision with a bike. The accident claimed the lives of two software engineers, Aneesh Avadhiya and Ashwini Koshta, in Kalyani Nagar, Pune. Within 15 hours, the minor was granted bail by the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB).
Minor’s Essay and Detention
As part of the bail conditions, the JJB instructed the minor to write a 300-word essay on road safety. Additionally, the minor was placed under the care and supervision of their parents and grandfather. However, amid a nationwide uproar, the police appealed to the JJB to modify the bail order. Consequently, the board ordered the minor’s detention on May 22 and sent them to a reformatory home.
Legal Action Against Minor’s Father
The police registered a case against Vishal Agarwal, the minor’s father and owner of Kosi and Club Black Bar. The FIR alleges that despite knowing his son lacked a valid driving license, Agarwal provided him with a car, endangering his life. Furthermore, Agarwal allowed the minor to party, despite being aware of the alcohol consumption. Currently, the minor’s parents are in judicial custody due to blood sample tampering. Additionally, Agarwal faces charges of kidnapping and holding his driver hostage.
High Court Questions Custody Decision
The Bombay High Court deemed the Pune Porsche car accident unfortunate and raised concerns about the minor accused’s custody. The court questioned the practice of granting bail and subsequently placing the minor in a reformatory home. It sought clarification from the police regarding the legal basis for amending the bail order and the decision to detain the minor.
While acknowledging the tragedy of the accident, the court emphasized that the teenager was also experiencing mental trauma.
