The father of a 17-year-old Pune teenager, whose late-night drunken Porsche drive resulted in the deaths of two 24-year-old engineers, was apprehended by police after an elaborate escape attempt. The prominent Pune realtor had been on the run since an FIR was registered against him for allowing his underage son to drive the luxury car.
To evade the authorities, the realtor devised a complex plan. He left his home in one car, instructing his driver to head towards Mumbai. Simultaneously, he ordered another driver to take a different car to Goa. En route to Mumbai, he switched to a friend’s car and continued towards Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, formerly known as Aurangabad. This multi-vehicle strategy was intended to mislead the police regarding his whereabouts.
Additionally, he began using a new SIM card to avoid being tracked.
Despite these efforts, the police received information about his presence in his friend’s car and began tracking the vehicle’s GPS. The Pune crime branch then used CCTV footage to pinpoint his location. In a late-night raid at a lodge in Sambhajinagar, officers successfully arrested the realtor. He is scheduled to appear in court today.
The fatal Porsche crash, which occurred on Saturday night, has ignited national outrage, particularly after the teenager was granted bail within 15 hours under what many deem inadequate conditions. The local court required him to write a 300-word essay on accidents, work with traffic police for 15 days, and undergo counselling for his drinking habit.
In response, police have petitioned the juvenile justice board to try the 17-year-old, who is eight months shy of 18, as an adult. A decision on this request is expected today.
Victims Aneesh Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshtha, both IT engineers from Madhya Pradesh, were returning home on a motorcycle from a get-together when they were struck from behind by the speeding Porsche, reportedly traveling at 200 km per hour. Both engineers died instantly.
Their families have condemned the rapid bail granted to the teenager, calling the incident “murder, not an accident”. The teenager and his two friends were reportedly returning from a pub when the crash occurred. Authorities have also arrested the owners of two establishments and a staff member for serving alcohol to the minor.
