Pune Porsche crash: Conduct of juvenile board members under probe
The Maharashtra government has launched an investigation into the conduct of the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) members who granted immediate bail to the 17-year-old boy involved in a fatal Porsche crash. The five-member committee, led by the Deputy Commissioner of the state's Women and Child Development Department (WCD), will investigate if proper norms were followed when issuing orders in the Pune crash case. The panel is expected to submit its report by next week, an official said.
Why does this story matter?
Two IT professionals, both 24, were killed when their motorcycle was hit by a speeding Porsche, allegedly driven by a 17-year-old teenager, in the early hours of May 19 in Pune. According to investigators, the teenager was intoxicated at the time. However, the JJB granted the teenager bail 15 hours after the incident on certain conditions, including writing a 300-word essay on traffic accidents. The teen was later sent to an observation home in Yerawada until June 5, following criticism.
Committee formed to evaluate Juvenile Justice Board's actions
WCD commissioner Prashant Narnavare said, "I have powers under the Juvenile Justice Act to probe the overall conduct of the members who have been appointed by the state government. We have set up a committee to assess the overall conduct of the JJB members in connection with the order that granted bail to the juvenile after the accident." The panel was established immediately after the bail order was issued for the minor last week.
Separate investigation into alleged blood sample manipulation
In addition, another three-member committee is investigating the alleged manipulation of the juvenile driver's blood samples. The police claimed that doctors at Sassoon Hospital discarded and replaced these samples to avoid detection of alcohol traces. CCTV footage from a city bar shows the teen and his companions celebrating their Class 12 exam success with several bottles of beer, with witnesses describing the boy as "heavily drunk."
Teen's grandfather, father in custody till May 31
In related developments, both the father and the grandfather of the teenager were sent to judicial custody until May 31. They were booked under Indian Penal Code Sections 365 (kidnapping with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine a person) and 368 (wrongfully concealing or keeping in confinement). Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar said that the juvenile's father and grandfather offered cash and presents to the family driver in exchange for accepting responsibility for the accident. They also allegedly threatened him.
