Father Allowed Underage Son to Drive Porsche in Fatal Kalyani Nagar Accident: Pune Police

Pune, 23rd May 2024: In a startling revelation during a special court session on Wednesday, Pune police disclosed that the father of the 17-year-old involved in the fatal car crash in Kalyaninagar on Sunday instructed his driver to hand over the Porsche Taycan to his son if he desired to drive it.

Crime Branch (unit IV) inspector Ganesh Mane shared this information before special judge S P Ponkshe after advocate Prashant Patil, representing the teenager’s father, claimed that the driver had stated in his police statement that his employer had only entrusted the car to him and not to the teenager for driving.

Mane highlighted that the driver further mentioned in his statement that the teenager insisted on driving, prompting the driver to inform the father via phone. According to the police officer, the father, builder Vishal Agarwal of Bramha Realty and Infrastructure, then instructed the driver to allow the teen to drive the car and directed him to occupy the adjacent seat.

The builder was formally arrested at 8:30 pm on Tuesday on charges of permitting his son to drive the car despite being aware that the teenager lacked a driving license and was untrained to operate the vehicle. Earlier that day, a crime branch team apprehended him from a lodge in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and transported him to Pune.

Additionally, on Wednesday, police arrested Jayesh Satish Gavkar (23) and Nitesh Dhanesh Shevani (34), both employees at the Blak Marriott pub in Mundhwa, for allegedly serving liquor to minors, including the teenager.

Inspector Mane presented the builder and the two employees before the special court, seeking their police custody for seven days through special prosecutor Vidya Vibhute. The court granted the request, remanding them in police custody until May 24.

The police asserted that the accused, including the builder, would be accommodated in Faraskhana police station’s lockup, where they would not receive preferential treatment. They would be housed alongside other detainees and provided standard meals.

Previously, the court had remanded Naman Bhutada (25) and Sachin Kaatkar (35), the owner and an employee, respectively, at the Cosie pub in Mundhwa, and Sandip Sangle (35), an assistant restaurant manager at Blak Marriott, in police custody until May 24. The teenager had visited both pubs with friends before the accident.

In addition to the FIR against the teenager regarding the accident, the police have implicated seven individuals — the builder and six pub employees — in a second FIR for violations under various sections of the Motor Vehicles Act and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.

Judge Ponkshe expressed sympathy, stating, “It is an unfortunate incident. In fact, the entire sequence of crime needs to be taken into consideration instead of the roles and offences attributed to individual accused.”

Prosecutor Vibhute emphasized the builder’s awareness of his son’s alcohol consumption and his subsequent actions. She pointed out that despite knowing his son was underage, he allowed him to use his credit card for pub outings and drive the car. The builder also attempted to mislead the police by providing false information about his whereabouts.

Vibhute further highlighted suspicious actions by the builder, including the purchase of a new SIM card and a basic cellphone before leaving the city on Sunday. She stressed the necessity of investigating these actions and the absence of a registration number plate on the car.

Responding to the pubs’ lawyer’s claim of lack of guidance from the police, the prosecution emphasized existing laws against serving liquor to minors and the necessity of verifying visitors’ identity.

Advocate Patil addressed the delayed car registration due to a consumer complaint, pending before the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Delhi, against the Bengaluru dealer.

The prosecutor questioned how the car was operational on city roads despite unresolved technical issues.