Family’s driver accuses him of confining him in illegal custody
TNR Desk
The grandfather of a Pune teenager, involved in a tragic accident that resulted in the death of two 24-year-old techies after he dashed his Porsche into their bike in a drunken state, is learnt to have been arrested after the family’s driver alleged that he was wrongfully confined, threatened and coerced to take the blame for the accident.
The arrested grandfather (name withheld as the accused is a minor) faces charges under Indian Penal Code sections related to kidnapping and wrongful confinement. According to police sources, efforts were allegedly made to force the driver to take blame for the accident immediately after it occurred. The driver was reportedly locked up by the grandfather, who promised that the family would ensure his release, in a bid to shield the minor.
“The teen’s grandfather and father allegedly confiscated the driver’s phone and confined him in their bungalow from May 19 to May 20. The driver was eventually freed by his wife,” said an official from the crime branch, which is investigating the case.
The incident took place when the 17-year-old, driving a Porsche at a speed of 200 km per hour, hit a bike carrying two engineers, Ashwini Kostha and Anish Awadhiya. Both victims died on the spot. The police confirmed that the teenager, son of a prominent Pune realtor, was heavily intoxicated at the time of the accident. Despite the severity of the incident, the teenager was granted bail within 15 hours under conditions widely criticised as flimsy. He was required to write a 300-word essay on road safety, assist the traffic police for 15 days and undergo counselling for his drinking habits.
The bail conditions sparked nationwide outrage, leading the Juvenile Justice Board to modify the order. The teenager was subsequently sent to an observation home even as the police seek permission to try him as an adult. Additionally, the boy’s father and staff members from two bars he visited that night have been arrested under relevant sections of the Juvenile Justice Act.
