Juvenile Justice Board rejects police plea to try teen as adult in Pune Porsche case. The 17-year-old accused will face trial under juvenile law despite public outrage.
Pune: Today, on July 15, the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) has ruled that the 17-year-old boy accused of driving a Porsche car while drunk and causing the death of two IT professionals in Pune last year will be tried as a juvenile.
This decision comes over a year after the tragic incident that took place in the Kalyani Nagar area on May 19, 2023.
ALSO READ: [Pune Porsche Crash] Police Arrested Teen’s Mother Over “Tempering with Evidence”
The accident led to the deaths of two young professionals — Anish Awadhiya and his friend Ashwini Costa — who were riding a motorcycle when the speeding Porsche car, allegedly driven by the teenager under the influence of alcohol, crashed into them.
The shocking nature of the accident had attracted nationwide attention and sparked outrage over the handling of the case.
Following the incident, Pune Police had requested that the minor be tried as an adult, stating that the nature of the act was “heinous”.
According to the police, not only were two innocent lives lost, but there were also deliberate efforts made to tamper with evidence after the crime. The police argued that the severity of the crime warranted trial as an adult.
However, on Tuesday, the Juvenile Justice Board rejected the plea filed by the police. As per the defence counsel representing the accused, the Board has ruled in favor of continuing proceedings under juvenile law.
The case had already caused nationwide uproar last year when the accused boy was granted bail just hours after the accident.
The bail conditions were seen as extremely lenient, as the boy was only asked to write a 300-word essay on road safety. This decision invited widespread public criticism and media scrutiny.
The lenient bail terms led to a public outcry, with citizens questioning whether justice was being diluted due to the minor’s background.
As the controversy grew, the accused was later sent to an observation home in Pune city just three days after the incident.
Subsequently, on June 25, 2024, the Bombay High Court intervened and directed that the teenager be released immediately.
The Court stated that the Juvenile Justice Board’s order to remand him to the observation home was unlawful. It emphasized that
“the law regarding juveniles must be implemented fully”.
This ruling by the Bombay High Court once again placed the focus on the rights of juveniles under the law, even in serious cases such as this. The court highlighted the importance of following due process and applying the Juvenile Justice Act in its true spirit.
ALSO READ: [Pune Porsche Crash Case] Accused Minor’s Father Granted Bail
The Juvenile Justice Board’s recent decision has now reinforced the principle that juveniles, regardless of the crime they are accused of, are entitled to protections and procedures under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
Click Here to Read More On Pune Porsche Case
