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.)

Reacting sharply to an activist’s claims that he had called the Pune police commissioner to “pressure him” after the accident in which a 17-year-old had killed two techies in their 20s in his Porsche, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has said he is ready to undergo a narco test to prove his innocence but asked whether the person making the allegation was ready to take ‘sanyas’ (lead a life of renunciation) if he is proven innocent. 

Activist Anjali Damania has alleged that Mr Pawar had called Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar after the Porsche accident and the deputy chief minister had, on Monday, said he had done so to ensure that the senior cop did not give in to any pressure. 

“As a people’s representative, we receive calls regarding such accidents. I had called the police commissioner and told him that the accused boy was from a wealthy family and there was a chance the police might be pressured. I told him not to succumb to any political pressure,” the NCP leader was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

When he was asked about the activist claiming that the calls were made to favour the accused and demanding that his phone records be checked, Mr Pawar said in Marathi, “I am ready for a narco test but, if I am cleared, you (Ms Damania) should stay quiet at home and take ‘sanyas’. Is she ready for that?”

Colleagues In Dock Too

The deputy chief minister’s comments came on a day when the dean of Sassoon Hospital –  where two doctors were arrested for allegedly replacing the teenager’s blood samples to ensure that no alcohol was detected in them – claimed that a minister and an MLA from Mr Pawar’s party had written a letter asking for one of the doctors to be made the head of the forensics department. 

Dr Vinayak Kale claimed that the letter was written by Maharashtra Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif and MLA Sunil Tingre in favour of Dr Ajay Tawade, who was suspended as the head of the hospital’s Forensic Medicine Department on Wednesday . Mr Tingre is already in the eye of a storm for visiting the police station where the teenager was taken after the accident on May 19 to allegedly pressure officials into going easy on the case. 

Dr Kale was later sent on compulsory leave by the Maharashtra government for “failing to take the case seriously” and “not taking proper decisions” as the dean.

On May 18, the 17-year-old son of a prominent Pune realtor had gone partying – in a Rs 2.5-crore Porsche – with his friends to celebrate his Class 12 results. They went to two pubs and drank illegally, paying a bill of Rs 48,000 at one of them.

The teen then got into the Porsche with two of his friends and crashed into a scooter in Kalyani Nagar at a speed of at least 150 kmph in the early hours of May 19, killing two 24-year-old IT professionals on the spot. 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. 

The teenager had got bail the same day and was asked to write a 300-word essay as one of the conditions. Three days later, after nationwide outrage, he was sent to a remand home till June 5. 

In the first major action following outrage over alleged lapses by the police following the Pune Porsche accident, in which two techies in their 20s lost their lives, an inspector and an assistant police inspector have been suspended and the case has been transferred to the Pune Police Crime Branch.  

Police Inspector Rahul Jagdale and Assistant Police Inspector Vishwanath Todkari were suspended for not following the protocol of informing their superiors – the deputy commissioner of police on night duty in this instance – about the accident. The cops were attached to the Yerwada police station, where the teenager was taken after the accident. 

The case, which was registered at the police station, has also been taken away and assigned to the Crime Branch. 

The accident took place around 2.15 am on Sunday, when the 17-year-old, who had been drinking with his friends in two pubs in Pune to celebrate his Class 12 results, knocked down the two 24-year-old IT professionals 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 died on the spot. 

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:

The mother of the 17-year-old boy who allegedly fatally knocked down two persons with his high-end Porsche car has appealed to the police to “protect” her son after a video purportedly featuring him, boasting about how he got away with the accident, went viral.

In a video message, the teen’s mother stressed that the clip had nothing to do with her son and that it was fake.

“The video which is being circulated is not of my son. That is a fake video. My son is in the detention centre,” says the teen’s mother in her message.

ALSO READ | Big Twist In Pune Porsche Crash: Cops To Probe Cops In Pizza, Burger Row

Appealing to the police to “protect” her son, the mother breaks down, and shows her video message. Unable to gather herself, she then walks away from the camera.

A rap song purportedly featuring the teenager, boasting about how he got away with the car crash, went viral on social media, but Pune police have clarified that it was a fake account and that the teenager had no role in the video.

Later, it was found that the rap video was of a social media influencer.

ALSO READ | Pune Teen’s Porsche Crash Puts Spotlight On Supari Case Against Grandfather

A Porsche, allegedly driven by the 17-year-old, who the police claim was drunk at the time, fatally knocked down two motorbike-borne software engineers in the city in the early hours of Sunday.

The teenager 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 real estate developer Vishal Agarwal, to the observation home till June 5.

The police have also arrested the teenager’s father in connection with the case.

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

Pune:

The case against the Pune teen – who killed two people early Sunday while drunk and driving his father’s Rs 2.5 crore Porsche supercar – took an additional twist Thursday evening.

The police will now also investigate potential lapses in protocol in the hours following the incident, including possible preferential treatment for the 17-year-old son of a prominent city builder.

Specifically, a senior cop – Assistant Commissioner of Police Ashwini Rakh – will question officers and staff at the police station in Yerwada where the complaint was first filed. The allegations include underplaying the horrific nature of the incident in the first write-ups and delaying a medical examination, which should have been done immediately to establish the boy’s blood alcohol level.

But perhaps most shocking is a claim that the cops were more interested in ‘investigating’ Aneesh Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta – the 24-year-old software professionals who were killed.

Pizza, Burger For Teen In Pune Porsche Crash?

Meanwhile, an opposition politician has said the boy was handled cautiously and even given food – pizzas and burgers – while in police custody as an accused in a stomach-churning road accident.

The claim was made by Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi chief and two-time ex-Lok Sabha MP Prakash Ambedkar, who posted on X, “Officers at Yerwada Police Station spent more time questioning the relationship between Anish and Ashwini – IT professionals fatally knocked down by drunk minor -while the accused was allegedly served burger and pizza”, and posed six questions to the cops.

Officers at Yerawada police station spent more time questioning the relationship between Anish and Ashwini — the two IT professionals who were fatally knocked down by the drunk minor — while the accused was allegedly served burger and pizza.

This is how the system benefits the…

— Prakash Ambedkar (@Prksh_Ambedkar) May 22, 2024

Among the questions he raised (and which may now be answered) were the eight-hour delay in administering a blood alcohol test and why the boy was not sent directly to a remand home.

READ | “1 Hour TV, 2 Hours Play Time”: Pune Teen’s Remand Home Schedule

There was outrage after the Juvenile Board gave the boy bail within 15 hours on conditions as ridiculous as two bonds of Rs 7,500 each and writing a 300-word essay on road accidents. Late Wednesday that order was revised and the boy was sent to a remand home till June 5.

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 charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder will be levied should the Juvenile Board allow him to be tried as an adult.

Rahul Gandhi On Pune Porsche Crash

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has also questioned the cops over preferential treatment for the boy, asking why accused in similar cases – if they are auto or cab drivers – don’t get bail as quickly.

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

“When a teen from a rich family drinks alcohol and kills two people in a Porsche… he is told to pen an ‘essay’. Why are bus, truck, and auto drivers, or cabbies, not asked to write such essays?”

“The question is of equal justice (for) the poor and prosperous…” he said.

Father’s Mobile Phone Found

Police have also found the mobile phone of the boy’s father, who was arrested the day after the incident from Sambhajinagar (earlier Aurangabad) after an elaborate rescue plan was thwarted.

READ | Pune Teen’s Father Had Big Escape Plan. How Was He Caught?

The phone – understood to be the father’s original, which he left at home while trying to escape the cops – is now in the custody of the Crime Branch, which says he is not cooperating with the probe.

The father faces a charge of willful neglect of his son under Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act.

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

The bar where the boy was served alcohol has been sealed, and its owner and staff are in police custody. They are being investigated for selling liquor to an under-aged individual.

At 17 years and 8 months, the boy was four months short of the legal age for driving and eight years shy of Maharashtra’s legal drinking age, which is 25.

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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…”

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New Delhi:

For some, the Pune Porsche crash is a tragic example of why minors should not be allowed to drive. Many see it as a test of the country’s justice system. For another section, the question is whether privilege will again enable the teen to get off lightly. But for two homes in Madhya Pradesh, it is about a vacuum that nothing can ever fill. For them, “the Porsche case” signifies endless pain.

Anish Awadhiya and Ashwini Kostha were two 24-year-old engineers who left their small city homes with many dreams. That night in Pune, they were out to meet friends and were returning on a bike when a drunken teen at the wheel of his high-end car hit them from behind. Ashwini, eyewitnesses said, was thrown 20 feet high and landed hard. Aneesh was thrown at a parked car. Both died on the spot.

At her Jabalpur home, Ashwini’s mother Mamata is still in shock. “We were supposed to send her off in a doli (to the groom’s house) after her wedding, but we were forced to carry her arthi (bier),” she told news agency PTI.

“We want justice for Ashwini. The minor boy and his parents should get stringent punishment. They have not raised him properly. They should have not given him the car,” she said about the 17-year-old driver, who has now been remanded in an observation home as the Juvenile Justice Board decides whether he will be tried as an adult.

Police have said the teenager was heavily drunk when he drove the Porsche, reportedly at 200 km per hour. The Juvenile Justice Board had earlier granted bail to the boy on conditions widely considered very flimsy. The conditions included writing a 300-word essay on “road accident and their solution”, studying traffic rules for 15 days and attending counselling for his drinking habit and psychiatric treatment.

“Is it a joke? What essay will he write? A joke is playing out,” Ms Koshta said. She described Ashwini as a “very talented girl”. “She was one in a million. She had so many dreams,” she said, tears rolling down her eyes.

Ashwini’s brother Samprit told NDTV she was “smart” and “independent”. “She excelled in every field. She had plans to come to our father’s birthday next month and she had also planned a retirement party for him,” he said.

About 150 km away is another mother, whose world turned upside down that night. Speaking to NDTV, Savita Awadhiya held herself together for some questions, before grief won and she could not hold back tears anymore. “He killed my son. Now, I will never be able to meet my son. It is the boy’s mistake, you can call it murder. If he had not made such a big mistake, no one would have died. If only his family members had paid attention, today my son would have been alive,” she said.

Ms Awadhiya said the teen driver must get tough punishment. “He should face the strictest punishment. They are trying very hard to save him. They are people with money and think can save their son. But my son died,” she said, appealing to the Maharashtra government to help her get justice.

Remembering her son, she said Aneesh wanted to pursue an MBA. “He was very cheerful, he would make everyone his own. Earlier this month, he came home for an anniversary. He was planning to visit again soon. He had told me he was getting me a gift for me.”

Anish’s father Om Awadhiya said he was a responsible son who shouldered family responsibilities. His younger brother was staying with him in Pune and he took care of him.

“The culprit will get punishment… But how can we bring back our child now? He spoke to his mother two days before the accident and told us he will come soon. He was a big support for the family. What will happen to my younger son now? Who will take care of him in Pune?” he said.

Pune:

Three days after bail was granted to the Pune teenager who rammed his Porsche into a motorcycle, killing two IT professionals in their 20s, the Juvenile Justice Board has modified its order and sent him to a remand home till June 5. The boy’s lawyer said this has been done keeping in mind that there may be a threat to his life because of public anger. 

On Sunday, the Board had granted bail to the 17-year-old within 15 hours of the accident and asked him to write an essay on road accidents, prompting nationwide outrage.

Apart from a personal bond, a surety and a 300-word essay on road safety, the boy – who is the son of a prominent Pune builder – was asked to visit the regional transport office, study all rules and regulations, and give a presentation. 

He was also asked to undergo de-addiction counselling for alcohol consumption and consult psychiatrists. 

The accident took place around 2.15 am, when the teenager, who had been drinking with his friends in two pubs in Pune to celebrate his Class 12 results, knocked down the two 24-year-old IT professionals in the Kalyani Nagar area in the Rs 2.5-crore Porsche. 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 died on the spot. 

At 17 years and 8 months old, the teenager was four months short of the legal age for driving. The legal drinking age in Maharashtra is 25 years. 

Speaking to NDTV on Tuesday, Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar had said the teenager had the knowledge that his act could cause death.

“Here, we are not applying a case of 304(a) of the Indian Penal Code of drunken driving and a rash and negligent act. We are applying Section 304, where we are saying that he had the knowledge that his rash act – where he was driving a Porsche without a number plate at a rash speed on a narrow street after consuming alcohol – could cause or was likely to cause death,” Mr Kumar said.

Father In Custody 

Earlier in the day, the father of the Pune teenager had been remanded in police custody for two days by a sessions court in Pune. 

The realtor had been charged under Sections 75 (wilful neglect of a child, or exposing a child to mental or physical illnesses) and 77 (supplying a child with intoxicating liquor or drugs) of the Juvenile Justice Act. 

Police had said the boy’s father had gone on the run after a first information report was filed against him. To throw the cops off his scent, he left home in his car and asked the driver of that vehicle to head to Mumbai while another driver was asked to leave for Goa in a different car. 

The builder got off the vehicle en route to Mumbai and then hopped into a friend’s car to proceed towards Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. He also started using a new SIM card to make it difficult to trace him, said officials. 

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.