Pune police arrest grandfather of minor involved in fatal Porsche crash
Investigators recorded the grandfather's statement and arranged a face-to-face meeting with the driver to establish the sequence of events and corroborate facts
On Saturday morning, the Pune police crime branch arrested the grandfather of a minor who allegedly crashed a speeding Porsche into a motorcycle, killing two young software engineers. The grandfather is accused of issuing threats to the driver and holding him captive in an attempt to force him to take responsibility for the crime instead of his minor grandson. Seven people have already been arrested in connection with the case, while the minor has been detained at an observation home.
Crime branch officials said they had detained the grandfather on Thursday and interrogated him regarding various aspects of the case. Investigators recorded the grandfather's statement and arranged a face-to-face meeting with the driver to establish the sequence of events and corroborate the facts. Assistant Commissioner of Police (crime) Sunil Tambe confirmed the arrest, stating, "A detailed statement will be issued during the day."
The grandfather, who is the CMD of a real estate firm under whose name the supercar was purchased by the father from Bengaluru, had previously told the police that he had given the Porsche keys to his grandson after informing his son of the request.
Following a request from the Pune police to modify its earlier order, the Juvenile Justice Board remanded the minor to the Nehru Udyog Kendra Observation Home for 14 days until 5 June. The minor's father, who was arrested earlier on charges of allowing the minor to drive the supercar without a driving licence, registration, or number plates, and for consenting to the minor's consumption of alcohol, is currently lodged in Yerawada Central Prison after the district court granted him judicial custody for 14 days.
The incident occurred early on Sunday morning when the reportedly inebriated minor was driving the Porsche sports car and knocked down two motorcycle-borne software engineers, Aneesh Awadhiya, 24, and Ashwini Koshta, 24, both of whom were killed.
The case and the subsequent bail granted to the minor under provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act drew sharp criticism and a flurry of protests. Under the bail conditions, the minor was required to work with Yerwada traffic police for 15 days and write a 300-word essay on the accident. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who rushed to the city police commissionerate, described the order as "lenient, shocking, and surprising." The home minister further said that the police had challenged the order in the district court and expected a fresh order regarding the cancellation of bail, describing the crime as heinous.
