This fatal incident took place in the early hours of Sunday i.e. 13th May. A teenage boy in Pune, allegedly driving a Porsche under the influence of alcohol knocked down two young IT professionals. The seventeen-year-old boy reportedly was out celebrating with his friends on the night of 12th May, where he indulged himself in underage drinking and driving. The fatal accident took place after he left the club around 2:00 am when the car’s speed was reported to be around 160 kmph.
This horrific accident resulted in the remorseful death of two twenty-four-year-old, young IT engineers, Anis Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta hailing from Madhya Pradesh.
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Massive Public outcry & Social media outbreak.
This outbreak happened after the controversial bail was granted to the minor by the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB), within a few hours after the incident took place. The bail order was followed by, him working with the traffic police for fifteen days and writing a 300-word essay on road accidents.
After the massive public criticism, Vishal Agarwal (50), a real estate developer, and father of the minor in charge, was remanded in police custody along with the two employees of the Black Swan Club. The case against the father was filed under sections 75 and 77 of the Juvenile Justice Act. Section 75 deals with “willful neglect of a child, or exposing a child to mental or physical illness” and section 77 deals with “ supplying a child with intoxicating liquor or drugs”.
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JJB was asked to review its order
The police officials, however, asked JJB to review its order considering that two twenty-four-year-old engineers, lost their lives due to mere casualty and privilege. Such a judgment was seen in the light of disparity and negligence of the JJB, which failed to address the grievances of the culprit along with the masses.
The FIR filed by the police officials, against the child in charge were under Sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to neighbor), 304A ( causing death by negligence), 279 ( rash driving), 337 (causing hurt by an act which endangers human life), 338 (causing grievous hurt by an act endangering life or personal safety) and relevant sections of the Motor Vehicles Act.
In Observation Home till 5th June
Soon after the storm started kicking in, JJB cancelled its former bail order and remanded the child to an observation home till June 5. “The child in conflict with the law was immediately sent to the Nehru Udyog Kendra observation home, located at Yerawada, where he is staying with the other CCLs,” the officials from the facility said.
This incident has again given fire to the very controversial question, ‘Is massive public outrage and social media outbreak the only way to seek the attention of the public authorities?’
Further updates on the case are to be covered.
This Article has been written by Ms Anuja Choudhary, a public policy enthusiast and Masters in Philosophy from LSR, DU. With a keen eye for authenticity, she is currently honing her craft as a writer to pen down the voices with utmost sincerity and integrity.
