Pune:

Police have formed more than a dozen teams comprising 100 personnel to look into various aspects of the wide-range investigation into the Porsche car crash case allegedly involving a minor driver, an officer said on Saturday.

Police have registered three separate cases after the car allegedly driven by a minor boy fatally knocked down two IT professionals travelling on a bike in the Kalyani Nagar area on May 19.

The three cases include FIRs regarding the accident and the second one against the bar that served liquor to the juvenile. Police have booked the boy’s father, a builder, for allowing him to drive the car without a valid license. A third case is about the wrongful confinement and coercion of the family driver to take the blame for the accident.

Among the boy’s family members, police have so far arrested his father, grandfather, and his (juvenile’s) mother after confirmation that his blood samples were replaced with hers, Pune police chief Amitesh Kumar said on Saturday.

Other persons in police custody are two doctors of the state-run Sassoon General Hospital and an employee for allegedly swapping the blood sample of the minor boy.

Police have invoked the Indian Penal Code, Juvenile Justice Act, Motor Vehicle Act, and Prevention of Corruption Act.

“To ensure that the probe is conducted professionally and effectively, we have deployed multiple teams. Approximately 100 police personnel, including officers, are looking after different aspects of the case,” said Shailesh Balkawade, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime), Police have formed three teams comprising 8 to 10 personnel each for investigating the three registered cases, two teams for documentation to strengthen the case, a team for CCTV footage monitoring, three teams for technical analysis and as many for field operations. One team each is assigned the task of escorting the accused and for communication.

“This multi-faceted approach aims to cover all aspects of the investigation, ensuring thorough and meticulous handling of the case,” said Balkawade.

As part of their probe, the police also spoke to the minor for about an hour at the observation home, where he has been sent till June 5, in his mother’s presence. An official, however, said “they were not forthcoming during the probe”.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Pune:

Police investigating the Porsche car crash allegedly involving a juvenile driver are planning “digital reconstruction” of the accident scene using some latest AI-based tools and software for “evidence appreciation”, a senior police officer said on Wednesday.

He said such AI (Artificial Intelligence) tools have not yet been used for reconstructing accident scenes, though they have been effectively used in murder cases to reconstruct the body for identification.

“By leveraging these AI tools, we aim to reconstruct the entire accident and crime scene in detail. The objective is to create a comprehensive visualisation of the crime/accident scene to enhance evidence appreciation,” the officer told PTI.

The juvenile son of a city-based builder allegedly drank alcohol at a restaurant and a club before driving the car at high speed, which crashed into a motorbike in the early hours of May 19, killing two IT professionals, police had said.

The digital reconstruction involves recreating the route from the juvenile’s home to Cosie Restaurant to Blak Club in Mundhwa area, and from the Club to the accident spot in Kalyani Nagar area.

“There are some AI simulated models and core softwares wherein if CCTV camera footage, photos or spot photos are inputted, they can create some 3D image or 3D walk-through,” the officer added.

Police had collected a large volume of CCTV footage along the route taken by the juvenile, leading to the spot of the accident, which will come in handy in the digital reconstruction of the accident site.

As per the police, the juvenile, who is in the observation home, had partied in Cosie restaurant and Blak Club.

Police had arrested the minor’s father and grandfather for allegedly trying to stall the investigation.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Pune:

The grandfather of the Pune teen, who ran over two 24-year-old techies in a late-night drunken dash in a Porsche, has been arrested after the family’s driver alleged that he was wrongfully confined, threatened and told to take the blame for the accident, sources in the police have said. He has been charged under IPC sections relating to kidnapping and wrongful confinement, the sources added.

Pune Police yesterday said efforts were made to force the driver to take blame minutes after the accident. After the accident, the grandfather locked up the driver and asked him to take the blame as the family tried to shield the minor, the sources said. He also told him that the family would ensure he is released too, the sources added.

“The teen’s grandfather and father allegedly took the driver’s phone, put him in confinement in his house on the premises of their bungalow from May 19 to May 20. The driver was freed by his wife,” said an official from the crime branch, which is probing the case.

Two engineers — Ashwini Kostha and Anish Awadhiya — were on the bike when the Porsche, being driven at 200 km per hour, hit their bike from behind. The two died on the spot. Police have said the 17-year-old accused, son of a prominent Pune realtor, was heavily drunk at the time of the accident. He was granted bail within 15 hours of the accident on the conditions seen as flimsy. He was asked to write a 300-word essay on road accidents, told to work with traffic cops for 15 days and seek counselling for his drinking habit.

Amid nationwide outrage, the Juvenile Justice Board later modified the order and sent him to an observation home till a police plea for permission to try him as an adult is decided. The boy’s father and staff of two bars the teenager visited that night were also arrested under relevant sections of the Juvenile Justice Act.

The case has also brought under the spotlight the family’s links with the underworld. 

The matter dates back to a 2009 attack on a Shiv Sena corporator Ajay Bhosale. According to the CBI chargesheet filed in the case, the boy’s grandfather was locked in a property dispute with his brother and had allegedly contacted Chhota Rajan to mediate. The gangster got in touch with Shiv Sena corporator Ajay Bhosale, who knew the brother. But Mr Bhosale was busy with the Assembly polls that year and refused to intervene. The boy’s grandfather suspected that the Shiv Sena leader was backing his brother and allegedly asked Chhota Rajan to bump him off, the CBI chargesheet said. The Shiv Sena leader’s car was fired at near Pune’s Koregaon Park, but the bullet missed him and hit his driver instead, injuring him.

Mr Bhosale, who is now with the Eknath Shinde-led Sena, has told NDTV that his ‘supari’ was given by the builder, who is not being named because the accused in the Porsche case is a minor. The grandfather was also listed as an accused in the chargesheet, but not arrested. The attempt to murder case is now part of a bunch of cases against Chhota Rajan pending before a Mumbai CBI court.

After the pizza-burger fiasco, in which the Pune teen who rammed his Porsche into two techies was allegedly given preferential treatment by the police, more lapses on the part of the cops have come to the fore, sources have said. 

Confirming earlier claims about this, the sources have said that the medical test of the teenager, who had been drinking before the deadly accident, had been delayed. 

The crash had taken place around 2.15 am on Sunday and the teenager and his two friends had been caught by a crowd immediately. The sources said procedure dictates that an accused be taken for a medical test as soon, as possible but the teenager was escorted to a police station in Yerwada and the test did not happen until many hours later. 

Given that the 17-year-old had consumed liquor, the sources said the delay could also influence the blood alcohol level found in the test. 

The teenager, who had been drinking with his friends in two pubs in Pune to celebrate his Class 12 results, had knocked down the two IT professionals – both 24 years old – in the Kalyani Nagar area. Aneesh Awadhiya, who was riding the bike was sent flying and hit a parked car, while Ashwini Koshta – who was riding pillion – was flung 20 feet into the air. Both of them had died on the spot. 

Another lapse that has been pointed out by the sources is that the cops did not inform the central police control room, disregarding the laid-down procedure. The control room has to be informed to ensure there is a proper record of cases and senior police officials can get involved if an incident demands their attention. 

On Thursday, an investigation into the alleged negligence by the cops at the police station had been ordered, and it is being helmed by Assistant Commissioner of Police Ashwini Rakh. The scope of the probe will also include allegations that the boy, who is the son of a prominent Pune realtor, was given preferential treatment as well as pizzas and burgers at the police station. 

At 17 years and 8 months old, the teenager was four months short of the legal age for driving and more than seven years younger than Maharashtra’s legal age for drinking. He has been sent to a remand home till June 5.  

Pune:

A morning wake-up call, a healthy breakfast, and prayers, followed by three hours of studying languages – this is not the daily schedule of a school or college student. This is the schedule the 17-year-old Pune teen – who was “heavily drunk” and driving his father’s Rs 2.5 crore Porsche supercar when he killed two people – will be expected to follow at a remand home for juvenile accused.

Sources told NDTV the daily schedule at the remand home – to which the boy has been sent till June 5 – begins with a breakfast of poha, upma, eggs, and milk. Breakfast will be served from 8 to 10 am.

The boys will be given an hour’s rest after which a daily prayer session will be convened.

From 11 am to 1 pm the inmates will attend classes, and the rest from 1 to 4 pm.

At 4 pm snacks will be served, and this will be followed by an hour of TV time and two hours of outdoor play time; volleyball and football will be the sports offered.

At 7 pm the juvenile inmates will eat dinner – vegetables, dal, rice, and rotis.

At 8 pm they will head back to their dormitory and turn in for the night.

14-Day Remand For Pune Teen

Late Wednesday night the Juvenile Justice Board – which was heavily criticised for granting bail, within 15 hours of the horrific incident, on terms as ridiculous as two bonds of Rs 7,500 each and writing a 300-word essay – modified its order, and sent the boy to a city remand home till June 5.

READ | Pune Teen Who Killed 2 With Porsche Sent To Remand Home

A copy of the bail order seen by NDTV listed seven conditions for bail, including an ‘assurance’ from the family (given by his grandfather) that the boy will be kept away from “bad company”.

READ | With 7 Conditions, Teen Porsche Driver Got Bail On Grandad’s Say

The boy’s lawyer – also representing the father who was arrested and charged with willful neglect of his child – claimed the order had been changed to reflect a potential threat to the teen’s life.

Charges Against Pune Teen

At present the boy faces a drunk driving charge that, for a first-time offence, limits punishment to six months jail and a fine of Rs 10,000. A second, more serious, charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder will be levied should the Juvenile Board allow him to be tried as an adult.

Speaking to NDTV on Tuesday, Pune Police chief Amitesh Kumar said a “watertight case” is being made. The cops will argue the boy “had the knowledge his rash act was likely to cause death.”

A decision on this is expected later today.

Charges Against Father, Bar

The boy is the son of a prominent city-based realtor, who went on the run after his son rammed into the two-wheeler and killed Aneesh Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta. The father was arrested the next day from Sambhajinagar (earlier called Aurangabad) after cops thwarted an elaborate rescue plan.

READ | “Cops Have Evidence?” Pune Teen’s Lawyer On Case Against Dad

The same lawyer, speaking to NDTV, scoffed at the idea the father could be convicted, arguing the most crucial point – proof that he had knowledge of his son’s actions – could not be proven.

NDTV Explains | Charges Against Pune Builder, Son Who Killed 2 With Porsche

At 17 years and 8 months, the boy was four months short of the legal age for driving.

He was also nearly eight years shy of the legal drinking age in Maharashtra, which is 25.

READ | CCTV Shows Pune Teen Drinking In Pub Before Porsche Crash

As a result, the bar where he and his friends went to celebrate passing the Class 12 exam has been sealed, and its owner and staff have been questioned over serving liquor to minors. CCTV footage from the establishment showed the boy and his friends at a table loaded with alcohol bottles.

Pune Porsche Accident – What Happened?

According to witnesses, the accident took place at 2.15 am on Saturday.

READ | CCTV Shows Speeding Porsche Moments Before Crash Killed 2

The speeding Porsche – reportedly driven at 200 km per hour – rammed the bike driven by Mr Awadhiya. Witnesses said he was flung into a parked car and Ms Costa was thrown 20 feet in the air.

The families have demanded the shocking incident be treated as “murder’.

Maharashtra Government Reacts

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was forced into a public statement after the Juvenile Board’s initial order, condemning the “lenient” punishment calling for a meeting with the cops.

READ | “How Can Board Give Such Order?” Fadnavis On Porsche Crash

“We have appealed to the district court against the Juvenile Board order. There is a huge public outrage. I have taken stock of the investigation updates till now,” he said, adding, “Officials will take closure action against pubs where violations are found and there will be drunk driving checks…”

NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.

New Delhi:

Two techies were killed after a speeding Porsche – being driven by a 17-year-old boy – hit their bike in Pune on Saturday. The incident has triggered massive anger, with many blaming lax laws for deaths due to rash driving and minors on the wheels.

The teen who was at the wheel, son of a prominent realtor from the city, is just four months short of 18 years – the minimum age required to legally drive a car.

The teen’s father has been arrested. Additionally, the owners of a couple of bars where the minor was served alcohol have also been arrested.

The minor was granted bail by the Juvenile Justice Board on conditions — he has to work with traffic police in Yerwada for 15 days, write an essay on accidents, undergo treatment for his drinking habit and take counselling sessions.

In response to the bail decision, Pune Police have filed an application with the sessions court to try the juvenile as an adult.

Charges Against Teen

The teen would be tried and punished under Section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act, which deals with drink driving offences.

The act states that drink driving is a criminal offense if a breath analyzer test reveals that the blood alcohol concentration of the driver of the motor vehicle is more than 30 mg per 100 ml.

For the first drink driving offence under the act, a person can get six months of jail and a fine of Rs 10,000. For a second offence, you could spend up to 2 years in jail and be fined Rs 15,000 (up from Rs 3,000). Repeat offenders might also face penalties related to their driving licenses.

Police are also trying to prove a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder where there is knowledge that the act could cause death.

Charges Against Teen’s Father

A case has been filed against the teen’s father under Sections 75 and 77 of the Juvenile Justice Act. These sections pertain to willful neglect of a child and providing intoxicating substances to a minor, respectively.

The former deals with the willful neglect of a child, or exposing a child to mental or physical illnesses, for which punishment can stretch to a three-year jail term and a fine of Rs 1 lakh. The latter deals with supplying a child with intoxicating liquor, or any narcotics or drugs, unless prescribed by a qualified medical practitioner, and those convicted could face up to seven years in jail.

The 17-year-old who ran over two techies in Pune while driving a Porsche will be tried for drink driving, a juvenile court ruled today. The court said that he would be tried and punished under section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act, which deals with drink driving offences.

The act states that drink driving is a criminal offense if a breath analyzer test reveals that the blood alcohol concentration of the driver of the motor vehicle is more than 30 mg per 100 ml.

For the first drink driving offence under the act, a person can get six months of jail and a fine of Rs 10,000. For a second offence, you could spend up to 2 years in jail and be fined Rs 15,000 (up from Rs 3,000). Repeat offenders might also face penalties related to their driving licenses.

In the early hours of Sunday, two individuals, including a young woman, died after a Porsche collided with their motorcycle near Kalyani Nagar in Pune. The victims were identified as Anis Awadhiya and Ashwini Costa. The tragic incident occurred at about 3.15 am.

The crash has sparked national outrage after the teenager was granted bail within 15 hours on conditions that many have described as flimsy. A local court asked him to write a 300-word essay on accidents, work with traffic police for 15 days and undergo counselling for his drinking habit.

Cops said that the accused had been drinking with his friends before the crash to celebrate his Class 12 results.

The 17-year-old who rammed his father’s high-end Porsche knew that his act could cause death and the Indian Penal Code section against him will be applied accordingly, the chief of the Pune Police has told NDTV.

Mr Kumar said the teenager, who is the son of a prominent Pune builder, was taken for a medical test in the early hours on Sunday and his blood has been taken and sent for a forensic report.

Bhopal:

The family of 25-year-old Ashwini Koshta is still in shock, The body of the young woman, who was mowed down by a drunk teen in Pune on a speeding Porsche, was brought to her home in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, today. Ashwini was one of the two persons hit by the vehicle at 2.15 am on Saturday. Her colleague Aneesh Awadhiya also died on the spot. Both were software engineers  working in Pune.

The teen who was at the wheel, son of a prominent realtor from the city, secured bail 15 hours after his arrest. He is just four months short of 18 years — the minimum age required to legally drive a car.

His lawyer said he has been asked to work with the traffic police of Yerawada for 15 days, and would undergo psychiatric counselling. He has been also referred to an alcohol de-addiction centre.

The decision of the Juvenile Board that has sparked massive anger. Ashwini’s family said they are dismayed by the bail conditions and are ready to fight at every level to get her justice.

“We are in shock,” said her uncle Jugal Kishor Koshta. “It is condemnable that he should get bail in 15 hours. He and his parents should be investigated. We will discuss the matter once Ashwini’s last rites are over tomorrow,” he added.  Asked if there was a possibility of political pressure in the case, he said it is “quite possible and elections are on anyway”.

“We want his bail cancelled and he should remain in police custody. Because of him, an innocent girl, who has seen nothing of life, died,” said her uncle Sachin Bokde.  

Ashwini’s father, Suresh Kumar Koshta, works as an office assistant in the state’s electricity department. One of his sons, Samprit Koshta, is a software engineer in Bengaluru.

A software engineer, Ashwini was living in Pune for the last two years. Her last appointment was with Amazon. A year ago, she switched jobs and joined Johnson Controls Company.

Early on Sunday, Ashwini was on way home with her colleague after dinner, when the accident took place. The minor at the wheels was out celebrating his Class 12 exam results. He was driving at 200 kmph when the Porsche hit the bike of the two engineers.

Eyewitnesses said Ashwini was thrown about 20 feet in the air, Aneesh was also thrown and hit a parked car. Both died on the spot.

The teen got bail in record time. The police said efforts are on to try him as an adult. A case has been filed against his father. The pub that served him alcohol will be charged as well, the police said. The minimum legal age for drinking in India is 25 years.

Paris:

German sports carmaker Porsche on Thursday confirmed it had recalled several thousand of its electric Taycan model because of risks their batteries could catch fire.

Faulty cells in some batteries could short-circuit and ignite, a spokesperson said.

Some 858 Taycans were initially identified as being at risk and recalled in January, but after further checks the company determined that further vehicles could also be affected.

Porsche said 2,936 of the sporty four-door cars showed “anomalies”, which requires changing the modules on the 600-kilogram (1,300-pound) batteries housed under the car.

Another 4,522 Taycans have not been inspected and must be brought to repair shops for verification.

Renault, Ford and General Motors have all recently had to recall models due to defective batteries.

The cells for the Taycan’s batteries are manufactured by Korea’s LG, while the batteries themselves are assembled in Germany before being inserted into the cars at Porsche’s Zuffenhausen factory.

Launched in 2019, the Taycan sold more than 40,000 units in 2023, up 16.7 percent from the previous year.

As Porsche’s first electric model, it is key for the German brand, which expects 80 percent of its sales to be electric by 2030 as it gradually electrifies the rest of its range, from the small Macan SUV this year to the sporty 718 in 2025.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)