Pune Police have constructed a sequence of events of the fateful night when two people were killed after a speeding Porsche crashed into a bike. After questioning the 17-year-old boy’s grandfather and driver, cops have figured out what happened before the accident. The case has become the talk of the town and stirred a debate on drink driving and whether minors should be allowed to drive at all.
Sources in the Pune Police said that the boy had cleared the Class 12 board exams and had gone out to party with two of his friends.
Trusting his grandson, the boy’s grandfather handed over the car keys to the minor and provided him with a credit card to cover the party expenses. During interrogation, the grandfather expressed his regret and stated that he had no foresight of the impending disaster, sources said.
On the fateful evening, the minor drove his family’s Porsche from their bungalow in Vadgaon Sherry to Koji Pub and later to Block Club. Accompanying him were the family’s driver and other staff members, who followed in a separate car.
At the pub, the boy and his friends ran up a bill of Rs 48,000. Witnesses report that the teen appeared drunk when he emerged from the Block Club. Despite his condition, the boy insisted on driving the Porsche himself. The driver, adhering to safety concerns, initially took the car out of the parking lot but called the boy’s father at the minor’s insistence.
The father instructed the driver to sit next to his son in the car. Consequently, the driver complied, sitting in the passenger seat, while two of the boy’s friends occupied the back seat, police sources said.
The boy’s excessive speed led to a catastrophic collision with a bike, claiming the lives of two individuals on the spot.
The investigation has highlighted significant lapses in judgment and control, with the police requesting the Juvenile Court that the boy be tried as an adult. Police, in their petition, have said that the teen was aware of the consequences when he decided to drive in a drunken state.
The boy was produced before the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) which granted him bail while asking him to write a 300-word essay. Following an outcry over quick bail and the police’s review plea, the JJB on Wednesday remanded the teen, son of a prominent real estate developer, to the observation home till June 5. The police have also arrested the teenager’s father in connection with the case.
As the investigation continues, Pune Police are emphasizing the need for stringent measures to prevent such incidents in the future, underscoring the devastating consequences of reckless behavior on the road.