Porsche crash: Teen moved to observation home after bail outcry
The Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) has ordered that the 17-year-old boy allegedly involved in a Porsche accident in Pune that claimed the lives of two software engineers be moved to an observation home. According to an official, the observation home currently houses over 30 minors. The move came after a public outcry over bail granted to the teen by the JJB just 15 hours after the accident on Sunday. He will now remain in the observation home till June 5.
Teen to undergo psychological tests
A senior police official said that the teen would undergo psychological tests while at the observation house. Advocate Prashant Patil, who defended the teen at the JJB hearing, said that the process of deciding whether a juvenile should be treated as an adult accused can take at least two months. This is because the JJB needs reports from psychiatrists, counselors, and other professionals before making a decision, he added.
Bail conditions spark outrage on social media
Before this modification, the JJB granted bail to the teen with some conditions on Sunday. The conditions of his bail included writing a 300-word essay on "road accidents and their solutions," studying traffic rules for 15 days, and attending counseling for his drinking habit and psychiatric treatment. Many social media users alleged that the teen had been let off lightly for a crime that resulted in two untimely deaths.
Pune police request to try teen as adult denied
Despite the public outcry, the JJB denied Pune police's request to try the accused teenager as an adult. Instead, the police registered a case against the teen's father under the Juvenile Justice Act. Additionally, charges were also filed against owners and staff of two bars that allegedly served alcohol to the minor. Later, authorities arrested the boy's father after GPS tracking foiled his escape plan involving multiple vehicles and the bar owners and staff were also taken into custody.
Pune Police files review petition, victims' families mourn
Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar told NDTV that they had moved two applications with the court. "One was this that is a heinous crime and the accused must be tried as an adult. Our second application was that till the time this is decided, the accused must be at an observation home," he said. Meanwhile, the families of victims Ashwini Koshtha and Aneesh Awadhiya are living through their worst nightmare, terming this incident as "murder" and not an accident.
