A court remanded Vishal Agarwal, the father of a 17-year-old involved in a fatal car crash, along with five other accused, to judicial custody until June 7 on Friday. The prosecution had sought an extension of their police custody for further investigation. The court ordered judicial custody for Agarwal, the owner, and employees of two liquor-serving establishments where the teenager allegedly consumed alcohol before his Porsche car collided with a motorbike, killing two software professionals. Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar noted that there were attempts to portray that an adult, not a minor, was driving the car during the May 19 accident.
Teen fully aware, attempts made to alter evidence, says police chief
Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar revealed on Friday that there were attempts to tamper with evidence in the high-profile Porsche crash case. The 17-year-old accused was allegedly made to appear as if he was not driving the car during the fatal accident.
CCTV and eyewitness accounts
Commissioner Kumar stated that CCTV footage and eyewitness testimonies confirmed the juvenile was driving the car. "We have footage of the minor drinking at a pub and evidence showing he left his house in the Porsche," Kumar said. Eyewitnesses corroborated that the teen, son of real estate developer Vishal Agarwal, was behind the wheel during the crash that killed two people.
Investigations and judicial custody
Vishal Agarwal and five other accused were remanded to judicial custody until June 7. The court denied the prosecution's request to extend police custody for further investigation. The accused include the owner and employees of two liquor-serving establishments where the teen allegedly consumed alcohol.
Blood sample delays and further evidence
The police chief noted delays in collecting the juvenile's blood samples but emphasized that their case does not solely depend on the blood report. "We have collected additional blood samples for cross-verification to ensure accuracy," Kumar stated.
Legal and internal actions
The case was upgraded from section 304A (death by negligence) to section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder). An ACP-level officer is investigating potential evidence tampering, and special counsels will be appointed to strengthen the police's case in court.
Public and political reactions
Congress MLA Ravindra Dhangekar protested outside the Police Commissioner’s office, demanding Kumar's resignation and citing damage to Pune’s reputation. The incident also led to an excise department crackdown, sealing 32 establishments and prompting protests from bar owners and staff, claiming 60,000 job losses.
Also read | Pune Porsche accident: 'Minor accused was in his senses, to be punished', says police commissioner
