[Pune Porsche Case] Minor Accused’s Father Gets Bail in Juvenile Justice Act Case But to Remain in Jail

A sessions court in Pune on Friday (June 21st) granted bail to the father of the juvenile accused in one of the cases pertaining to the Pune Porsche car crash in which two software professionals were killed in the city last month. He will, however, remain in jail since he is also accused in other cases related to the incident, including swapping of blood samples for alcohol tests and wrongful confinement of his driver to force him to take blame for the accident.

Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!

PUNE: A sessions court on Friday granted bail to the father of the juvenile accused involved in the incident. The crash, which occurred last month, resulted in the deaths of two software professionals, causing a national outcry. Despite receiving bail, the father will remain in jail due to his involvement in other related cases, including allegations of swapping blood samples for alcohol tests and the wrongful confinement of his driver to force him to take the blame for the accident.

The court also granted bail to five other accused individuals, including the owner and managers of two bars. These bars were accused of serving liquor to underage patrons, including the juvenile driver. The accused individuals granted bail are Pralhad Bhutda, owner of Cosie Bar; Sachin Katkar, manager of Cosie Bar; and Sandip Sangale, Nitesh Shevani, and Jayesh Gavkar, all staffers at Blak Club Hotel.

On May 19, two IT professionals were tragically killed in Kalyani Nagar when their motorcycle was struck by a speeding Porsche car, allegedly driven by the juvenile in an intoxicated state. The case drew significant attention after a Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) member, L N Danwade, granted the juvenile bail on notably lenient terms, which included writing a 300-word essay on road safety.

The police registered three separate cases linked to the accident. The primary case pertained to the accident itself. Another case involved the two bar establishments, Cosie and Blak Club, as well as the juvenile’s father, who allegedly allowed him to drive the car despite knowing that he had no valid license and was reportedly addicted to alcohol.

These actions led to charges under sections 75 and 77 of the Juvenile Justice Act and relevant sections of the Motor Vehicle Act. Section 77 deals with supplying a child with intoxicating liquor or drugs and applied to the bar owners and managers. Section 75 pertains to punishment for cruelty to a child and was applicable to the father.

The First Information Report (FIR) alleged that by giving the juvenile a car to drive, the father endangered his son’s life. Advocate Prashant Patil, representing the juvenile’s father, confirmed the court’s decision to grant bail, explaining that section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act is non-cognizable and does not provide for arrest.

“While granting bail to the juvenile’s father, the court directed that he will abide by all conditions imposed on him and also cooperate with the police,”

-Patil stated.

The argument on his client’s bail application took place 10 days ago.

Advocate S K Jain, representing Pralhad Bhutda, Sachin Katkar, and the Blak Club Hotel staffers, argued that section 77 of the Juvenile Justice Act is non-cognizable and that there was nothing further to probe against his clients, leading to their bail being granted.

In another facet of the case, the juvenile’s father and mother are currently in judicial custody related to allegations of tampering with their son’s blood sample. Among those arrested in this matter are Dr. Ajay Taware, the then Head of the Forensic Medicine Department at Sassoon General Hospital, Dr. Shrihari Halnor, the Chief Medical Officer of the hospital, and staffer Atul Ghatkamble.

Advocate Patil also mentioned that an application for bail for the juvenile’s father and grandfather has been moved in the case involving the kidnapping and wrongful confinement of the driver. The argument for this bail application is scheduled for June 25.

The juvenile accused is currently in an observation home until June 25. Following the initial bail granted to him, the police approached the Juvenile Justice Board for a review amid the national outrage. Subsequently, the JJB modified its order and sent the juvenile to an observation home.

This ongoing case continues to unfold, with numerous legal battles and significant public interest in the proceedings. The judicial system’s handling of the case remains under scrutiny, reflecting broader concerns about road safety, juvenile justice, and accountability.

Click Here to Read Previous Reports on Pune Porsche Case

FOLLOW US ON YOUTUBE FOR MORE LEGAL UPDATES