Pune Porsche accident | The system crash

In a classic instance of arrant perversion of justice not remaining a local event, a sordid tale of reckless privilege and alleged cover-ups has spilled out from the affluent enclaves of Pune to hit national headlines. At its heart is a 17-year-old scion of a prominent real estate family, accused of mowing down two young techies in an unregistered Porsche Taycan. The night of May 18 saw the juvenile, well below the legal age, allegedly drink high-end liquor with friends at two upscale bars. Later, in the wee hours, his speeding luxury car rammed into two techies’ motorcycle—Ashwini Koshta, 24, who was riding pillion, was killed instantly while the biker, Aneesh Awadhiya, also 24, succumbed to his injuries later. Eyewitness accounts say there were three boys in the car, all of them drunk. Police probe suggests the juvenile was behind the wheel.

What followed was a seeming circus of impunity. The boy, four months shy of 18, was initially let off with a mere rap on the knuckles by the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB)—his bail conditions included penning a 300-word essay on road safety. The lenie­ncy extended to allegations that the boy was served pizza at the Yerawada police station. Add political interference—local MLA Sunil Tingre of the ruling Nation­alist Congress Party (NCP) was among the visitors at the police station post-mishap—and it was inevitable that outrage went viral.

As public anger mounted, a manhunt was launched to nab the juvenile’s father, Vishal Agrawal, for allowing his son access to the vehicle. He was arrested from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on May 21. Later, the son’s bail was cancelled and he was sent to an observation home. In a stunning twist, his grandfather Surendrakumar—one of the four sons of Bramhadutt Agrawal, after whom the Bramha Group is named—was arrested for allegedly kidnapping the family driver to coerce him into claiming responsibility. The family had made its fortune in real estate, riding Pune’s IT boom, and wields considerable clout. Surendrakumar had been previously charge-sheeted for ordering a hit on a Shiv Sena leader. The case, which involved underworld don Chhota Rajan, is at the trial stage.

Allegations of collusion grew as two doctors—Dr Ajay Taware, who heads the forensic science department, and chief medical officer Dr Shrihari Halnor—besides a peon were arrested for allegedly swapping the juvenile’s blood sample at state-run Sassoon Hospital. Adding to MLA Tingre’s troubles, a letter surfaced suggesting that he had lobbied for Dr Taware’s appointment as the hospital’s medical superintendent in December last year. Tingre denies exerting any pressure in the present case, claiming that he had visited the accident spot and the police station as a “responsible public representative”.

As scrutiny intensified, a pattern of systemic rot emerged. Bars were sealed for serving minors. Two cops were suspended for alleged lapses. Ten arrests were made by May 28. Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who holds the home portfolio, has described the JJB’s “lenient view” as “shocking”—“one that created questions in the mind of the citizens and the government”. He asserted that the police are now seeking to get the juvenile tried as an adult. According to Pune police commissioner Amitesh Kumar, their case against the juvenile did not rest on him causing a fatal accident under the influence of alcohol, but on the more stringent culpable homicide charge—punishable with up to a 10-year imprisonment. “He committed the act in full knowledge that it could lead to a loss of life,” asserted Kumar. “Here, the alcohol content in the blood is not important.”

But in its aftermath, the incident has raised several questions. “Not one agency can be acquitted honourably here,” says Vijay Kumbhar, a social activist and the Aam Aadmi Party’s state vice-president, while indicting bar owners, cops and doctors alike. Sushma Andhare, deputy leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT), even wondered if the juvenile’s blood sample was changed “because it contained drugs”. Sangeeta Tiwari, vice-president of the state Congress’s women’s wing, alleged pubs in Pune’s tony neighbourhoods were openly flouting the 1.30 am deadline in connivance with the state excise and police officials.

Meanwhile, for the families of the victims, the trauma is compounded by a system seemingly rigged to protect perpetrators of means. As Kumbhar asked, “Who will take action against whom when they all are guilty?” The daunting quest for accountability and justice looms.