The 17-year-old boy, who killed two people with his Porsche in Pune’s Kalyani Nagar area early on Sunday, spent INR 48,000 (USD 576) on food and drinks on the night of the accident, Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar told The Free Press Journal.
According to the FIR, Vedant Agarwal was at Cosie restaurant with his friends from 9:30 pm to midnight, where he consumed alcohol. He then continued drinking at Hotel Blak from midnight to 1am. CCTV footage of him drinking with his friends at one of these places has come to light.
Seated at an oval table, the footage shows scenes of revelry, with the table crowded with alcohol bottles. He was reportedly celebrating his Class 12 results with friends.
2 IT individuals killed by a 17-year-old drunken boy named Vedant Agarwal with a Porsche car ๐ He got bail as his father is a famous builder in Pune #VedantAgarwal #Pune #Porsche #Kalyaninagar #Accident pic.twitter.com/npmqUJYd5M
— ๐ฏ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ (@Deepak32763716) May 21, 2024
Meanwhile, Kumar confirmed that they have detained Vishal Agarwal, the father of the minor, from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. “Agarwal was on the run for two days. He was taken into custody from a hotel in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in the early hours of Tuesday. He is being brought to Pune and will be arrested in connection with the case registered against him. He will be produced in court tomorrow,” Kumar added.
Besides Agarwal, the Pune Police have arrested four others in connection with the case. These individuals include Naman Pralhad Bhutda, owner of Cosie restaurant, and Sachin Ashok Katkar, the restaurant’s manager. Additionally, Sandeep Ramesh Sangle, manager of Hotel Blak, and Jayesh Satish Bonkar, the bar counter manager, have also been arrested for allegedly serving alcohol to the 17-year-old.
Speaking to the FPJ, Kumar also refuted allegations that the minor was served pizza and a burger at the Yerwada Police Station during his detention. He also stated that the investigation is not influenced by any political leader. “If we find any police official tampering with the investigation, strict action will be taken against him,” he said.
Kumar had stated on Monday that they would seek permission from a higher court to try the 17-year-old boy as an adult. “On Sunday, we moved an application before the Juvenile Justice Board seeking permission to try the juvenile as an adult and send him to an observation home as the crime is heinous, but the plea was rejected. We are now approaching the sessions court with the same plea,” he said. “The CCTV footage of the bar clearly shows that the juvenile was consuming alcohol. There is no doubt that the juvenile was driving the car after consuming alcohol. We will be submitting all these facts to the court,” he added.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, alleged that the police gave a false report in connection with the incident and wondered whom the commissioner was trying to save. In response to this, Kumar stated that the police have taken the most stringent possible measures. He emphasised that from the outset, the police have acted decisively, registering the offence under Section 304 (culpable homicide that does not amount to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), ensuring the case was presented in court for trial, and taking action against the father of the accused and the pub owners under the Juvenile Justice Act.
Refuting the claims, Kumar said, “From the very first day, whether it was registering the offence under Section 304 of the IPC or presenting it in court for trial or initiating action against the father and pub owners under the Juvenile Justice Act, the police’s role has been integral from the beginning. Yesterday, I also mentioned that we have an open challenge: any panel of legal experts can come before us and suggest a more stringent approach than the one we have taken, and I am ready for that discussion.”
“I responsibly state that the police have adopted the most stringent possible measures as per legal provisions and have been following that path,” he asserted.
Kumar reiterated the commitment of the police to follow legal provisions rigorously and welcomed any constructive suggestions.
“I do not find it appropriate to respond to any accusations that the police have not done this or that. However, even at the risk of repetition, I want to clarify that the police have taken legal action and have followed the proper legal route. If anyone has any suggestions regarding this, they are welcome to come to us, and I am also ready for an online debate,” Kumar said.
“We will try and prove to all concerned that we have adopted the most stringent possible approach, and we shall do everything within our power to ensure that the two young lives lost receive justice and that the accused are duly punished,” he added.
(The article is published under a mutual content partnership arrangement betweenย The Free Press Journalย andย Connected to India)