Pune Car Crash: Bombay HC Grants Bail To Juvenile Accused

The Bombay High Court granted bail to the juvenile accused in the Pune car accident case on Tuesday, ordering his release into the care and custody of his paternal aunt. The court found the Juvenile Justice Board's (JJB) remand orders illegal and beyond its jurisdiction.

Prashant Patil, the advocate for the minor accused, provided insights into the case's development. "The child in conflict with law was arrested on May 19, 2024, and was released on bail. After his release on bail on May 22, 2024, the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) took custody of the child under a conflicting law," said Patil.

"That particular custody was illegal per se. Today we challenged the three remands of the JJB before the High Court. The writ of Habeas Corpus was filed by the paternal aunt of the child in conflict with law. Section 12 of the particular act was the backbone of the writ and we argued that, be it a bailable offence or a non-bailable offence, the code of CrPc does not apply to a child in conflict with law and that's why we requested his immediate release."

Patil further stated, "Today, the honourable Bombay High Court set aside those orders and ordered the immediate release of the child under conflicting laws."

In response to the accident, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde met with the parents of the two engineers who died in the Pune Porsche crash. Shinde assured them that the guilty parties would face severe punishment. During his meeting with Omprakash Awadhiya, father of Anish Koshta, and Suresh Koshta, father of Ashwini Koshta, Shinde expressed his condolences and promised stringent action.

Shinde spoke with the Commissioner of Police (CP) Pune, directing him to take strict action against illegal pubs and demolish structures that violate building regulations. He also ordered a crackdown on drug peddlers to make Pune a drug-free city, according to a statement from the Chief Minister's Office.

Despite the minor accused's release, Shinde assured that the case would be re-investigated and fast-tracked. On his 'X' handle, he stated, "We fully understand the grief caused by the sudden death of one's young children. So, we decided to provide Rs 10 lakh each from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund as a special consideration to the families of their two deceased children." Shinde added that the government is committed to tracking down all culprits and ensuring they are punished.

The tragic accident occurred on May 19 at 2:30 am, when a car allegedly driven by a drunk 17-year-old boy crashed into two IT professionals on a bike, resulting in their deaths. The investigation revealed attempts by the boy's kin to destroy evidence against him.

On June 21, the Pune district court granted bail to Vishal Agarwal, the father of the accused teenager, who was booked under Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. However, the 77-year-old grandfather remains in judicial custody for allegedly coercing the driver to take responsibility for the crime on behalf of his grandson.

Also Read: Pune: Watchman Charred To Death, 42 Students Rescued After Fire at Institute Building