 "Pune Porsche crash: Does the 17-year-old accused's family have connections to the underworld?")
Does the family of the accused of drunk driving in Pune have underworld connections?
The grandfather of the 17-year-old who allegedly drank and drove a luxury sports car which resulted in two the death of two people allegedly made payments to don Chhota Rajan in a shootout case, according to media reports.
Five people have been arrested in the case thus far including the accused’s father Vishal Agarwal.
The accident claimed the lives of Anish Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta, both 24-year-old IT professionals hailing from Madhya Pradesh and working in Pune.
So, what do we know about the family? Who is Vishal? How did he attempt to evade arrest? How did the police track him down?
Let’s take a closer look:
Shootout case
News18 reported that Vishal’s father Surendra Kumar Agarwal was named in a shootout case that was later taken over by the CBI.
The channel reported a hit was put out in 2009 on then Pune corporator Ajay Bhosale.
Bhosale, who was campaigning, was fired upon by two men in Koregoan Park.
While Bhosale escaped without a scratch, his driver was seriously injured.
The case was then transferred to the CID.
As per Pune Mirror, the CID managed to unearth the identity of the two gunmen, but were unable to reveal the mastermind behind the hit.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThe case then wound up under the ambit of the CBI.
The CBI claimed that Surendra had a spat with his brother RK Agarwal over property and that Rajan asked Bhosale to arbitrate.
However, Bhosale said it was a family matter and refused to do so.
As per News18, the agency in 2020 claimed that Surendra then paid Rajan for the hit on Bhosale.
Surendra then sought anticipatory bail from the Bombay High Court, as per News18.
Who is Vishal Agarwal?
Vishal is a prominent real estate developer in Pune.
According to The Times of India, Vishal runs Brahma Corp – a firm founded by his great-grandfather Brahmadatt Agarwal.
As per Business Today, the company was established as a partnership firm in 1982 by RK Agarwal and his family.
It then reformed as a private limited company in March 2012 and as a public limited company in October 2013.
The company has assets valued at Rs 600 crore.
The company has constructed projects in Viman Nagar, Kharadi and Wadgoan Sheri.
The firm also built the Sheraton Grand and Residency Club.
It owns Brahma Multispace and Brahma Multicon and has built five-star hotels in Pune.
The firm currently has eight projects in Pune and three more in the offing, as per Business Today.
Vishal is being charged with sections 75 and 77 of the Juvenile Justice Act for allegedly allowing his minor son to consume alcohol and drive.
Section 75 deals with “wilful neglect of a child or exposing a child to mental or physical illnesses,” while section 77 deals with supplying a child with intoxicating liquor or drugs.
According to The Times of India, Vishal attempted to give the police the slip by moving from one property to another in Pune.
News18 quoted sources as saying that Vishal went to his properties including his Daund farmhouse.
He then travelled to Kolhapur and met a friend.
Sources told the outlet he sent his car and driver to Mumbai to throw the police off his trail.
He then went to Sambhajinagar in his friend’s vehicle.
Sources said Vishal even kept his family in the dark. He told them he was in Mumbai.
He also allegedly turned off his phone and got a new number.
Sources said the police found him by tracking him via the GPS of his friend’s car.
News18 reported that a team from the Pune crime branch used CCTV footage to track Vishal.
He was arrested after an early-morning raid on a resort in Aurangabad’s Sambhajinagar.
“The builder after changing a few locations went to Kolhapur, and then moved to Samhajinagar while at the same time tried to send another car in Mumbai’s direction to mislead the police,” Pune police commissioner Amitesh Kumar told Hindustan Times.
With inputs from agencies
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