- By Yashashvi Tak
- Tue, 15 Jul 2025 09:29 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Pune Porsche Case: The Juvenile Justice Board announced on Tuesday that a 17-year-old boy accused of driving a Porsche under the influence and fatally injuring two people in Pune last year will be tried as a minor.
The fathers of the deceased engineers have expressed their displeasure with the court's decision. Om Prakash Awadhiya, father of Anish Awadhiya, and Suresh Koshta, father of Ashwini Koshta, both victims of the incident, voiced their objections. They highlighted that more than a year has passed since the government dismissed certain board members, yet no replacements have been appointed. They questioned how decisions could be made within a month under such circumstances, raising concerns about the board’s functioning.
“Even after more than a year, no one was appointed in the place of board members who had been sacked by the government. So how is it that within a month, people were appointed and decisions were taken there will be questions raised on their functioning,” Suresh Koshta, father of Ashwini Koshta, has been quoted as saying.
According to an NDTV report, Suresh Koshta criticised the Juvenile Justice Board’s approach, stating that the entire nation questioned the board’s decision from the outset. “How can someone driving under the influence be treated as a juvenile?” he asked. He added that the accused should have been tried as an adult.
Similarly, Om Prakash Awadhiya said it was clear from the beginning what the outcome would be. He said that the government should have ensured such incidents do not occur. “Now that it has happened, what more can we say?” he lamented, adding that the accused belong to affluent families.
Asked whether the case reflected “money power and influence,” he told NDTV, “These are rich people. They give a car costing Rs 3 crore in the hands of their children. The media reported that they were trying to change the blood samples but could not do it because of the doctors.”
Pune Porsche Case
The accident, which garnered national attention, occurred on May 19 last year in the Kalyani Nagar area. IT professional Anish Awadhiya and his friend Ashwini Costa, who were riding a motorcycle, lost their lives in the crash. Last year, the Pune Police had requested that the accused be tried as an adult.
The police described the act as "heinous," noting not only the tragic deaths but also attempts to tamper with evidence. However, the Juvenile Justice Board rejected the police’s plea on Tuesday, deciding that the accused would be tried as a juvenile.
The Juvenile Justice Board is a judicial body established under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. It handles cases involving individuals below 18 years of age and aims to provide care and protection for children in conflict with the law.
Following the accident on May 19 last year, the accused juvenile was granted bail within hours, a decision that sparked widespread controversy. Bail conditions required him to write a 300-word essay on road safety. Three days later, he was sent to a correctional home in Pune.
On June 25, 2024, the Bombay High Court ordered his immediate release, ruling that the Juvenile Justice Board’s order sending him to the correctional home was illegal and that juvenile laws must be fully adhered to.