Agency (Maharashtra): Three individuals arrested in connection with the Pune rash driving case, which resulted in the deaths of two people, have been remanded to police custody until May 24 by a special court in Pune. Among the accused are the bar owner and bar manager who served liquor to the juvenile driver on the night of the accident. The third accused is also a bar manager from another establishment where the juvenile was served alcohol.
Additionally, two more individuals, including the juvenile’s father and another bar owner, are currently detained, with the process to arrest them underway. The juvenile’s father was detained earlier in the day from the Sambhajinagar area of Aurangabad district.
The tragic accident occurred in the early hours of Sunday when a luxury car collided with a motorcycle near Kalyani Nagar in Pune, resulting in the deaths of Ashwini Koshta and Aneesh Awadhia.
On May 19, the Juvenile Justice Board granted bail to the juvenile involved in the accident, with conditions aimed at rehabilitation and awareness. These conditions include working with the Yerawada traffic police for 15 days, writing an essay on the accident, undergoing treatment to quit drinking, and receiving psychiatric counseling.
The family of Ashwini Koshta is demanding strict action against the accused. “The law should take action according to the constitution and existing laws so that people learn a lesson from this,” said Ashwini’s father.
Ashwini’s mother emphasized that the parents of the accused should be held accountable for their upbringing. “The parents should be punished for the way they have brought up their child. The law should also take action so that such an incident does not happen again,” she said.
Aneesh Awadhia’s father expressed concerns about the family’s financial future, as their son had been supporting his younger brother’s education. He also alleged a lack of cooperation from the government in the investigation. “Our elder son was bearing the expense of education of our younger son. Now, how will we continue his education?… Neither the police nor the government supported us,” he said.
Aneesh’s grandfather, Atma Ram Awadhia, demanded government compensation for their loss, criticizing the lack of cooperation from the Maharashtra police and hospital staff.
Pune Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar stated that the Pune Police are seeking permission to try the juvenile accused in the rash driving case. Kumar emphasized that the police have acted decisively from the beginning, registering the offence under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code, ensuring the case was presented in court for trial, and taking action against the father of the accused and the pub owners under the Juvenile Justice Act.
National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) Chairperson Priyank Kanoongo urged activists and media personnel to refrain from revealing the identity of the minor accused, emphasizing that doing so would be a crime under the Juvenile Justice Act.