 "Pune Porsche crash: How a night out turned tragic for two young techies")
Two young software engineers were out with friends in Pune for dinner on Saturday (18 May). Little did they know it would be their last meal. When the group was on their way back from a restaurant in the city’s Kalyani Nagar area, the motorbike of the techies was hit by a Porsche, driven reportedly by a 17-year-old.
Aneesh Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta, the two 24-year-old friends, lost their lives in the accident. The minor, who is the son of a prominent realtor in Pune, secured bail 15 hours after his arrest.
Let’s take a closer look.
Dinner turns into tragedy
Aneesh, Ashwini and their friends decided to meet for an impromptu dinner in Kalyani Nagar on Saturday evening, as per an Indian Express report.
The tragic incident took place when the group of friends were returning on motorbikes from the restaurant in the wee hours of Sunday (19 May).
A speeding Porsche driven by an allegedly drunk teenager hit one of the motorcycles carrying Aneesh and Ashwini from behind. The car then crashed into other vehicles parked on the road near a pub in Kalyani Nagar around 2.30 am, as per a Times of India (TOI) report.
#WATCH | Maharashtra: Visuals of the Porsche car and bike currently at Yerwada Police Station in Pune.
— ANI (@ANI) May 21, 2024
Two people were killed when a speeding Porsche car hit them from behind on 19th May. The accused has been granted bail by the Juvenile Justice Board and his father was… https://t.co/HKj8uK4d9q pic.twitter.com/91SeqwfTeN
Impact Shorts
More ShortsAshwini, who as per eyewitnesses was thrown about 20 feet in the air, died on the spot, reported NDTV.
According to Indian Express, Aneesh was shifted to a city hospital where he died soon after.
Both the victims hailed from Madhya Pradesh and were working in Pune.
Family, friends remember Pune car crash victims
Ashwini’s mortal remains reached her home in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur on Monday (20 May). Her family is stunned by her sudden demise.
Ashwini’s brother, Samarpreet Koshta, told Indian Express, “She was a bright student and was enjoying her work”.
The young techie’s final rites were held on Tuesday when her inconsolable family and loved ones bid her adieu, reported Free Press Journal.
Aneesh Awadhiya, who hailed from Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh, studied engineering at a college in Pune.
Speaking to Indian Express, one of his friends recalled, “Aneesh did very well in college and had a brilliant future ahead of him. He was hoping to go to the US to study or work. Whenever we met, we used to talk about coding, the kind of projects we should take up.”
The friend described Aneesh as a “fun guy but also very respectful and polite”.
Families demand justice
The 17-year-old behind the wheels who knocked down the two bike riders was drunk. The kin of the deceased have alleged the minor was accorded preferential treatment in police custody.
Aneesh’s cousin Paras Soni, a software engineer, told Pune Mirror, “I received a call in the wee hours while I was still asleep. I rushed to the police station to find that the arrested youth was receiving VIP treatment. He was being served fast food and was being allowed to sleep. A local MLA was involved in his case.”
Soni also alleged that the police threatened to detain their friends when they came forward as eyewitnesses.
The accused minor was subsequently produced before the Juvenile Justice Board which granted him bail after 15 hours of his arrest. He was asked to work with the traffic police from the Yerawada branch for 15 days and undergo a counselling session with a psychiatrist.
The accused was also told to write a “300-word essay on accidents and paint traffic awareness boards”, lawyers Prashant Patil and Abid Mulani, representing the minor, said, as per TOI.
The minor has also been referred to an alcohol de-addiction centre, reported NDTV.
The police have detained the boy’s father, who is a real estate developer, and arrested three executives of two hotels for serving liquor to the accused.
The victims’ kin have objected to the bail conditions and demanded justice for the deceased.
Ashwini’s uncle Sachin Bokde told NDTV, “We want his bail cancelled and he should remain in police custody. Because of him, an innocent girl, who has seen nothing of life, died.”
‘Strict action’
As the case came to light, public anger erupted over the swift bail to the minor.
Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde and state home minister Devendra Fadnavis have called for strict action in the case, the Pune police chief said on Tuesday.
“The chief minister, the deputy chief minister and home minister (Fadnavis), and the (Pune) guardian minister (deputy CM Ajit Pawar) have given clear instructions to the police to take stringent action in this case. The state Director General of Police has also instructed for strong action,” Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar was quoted as saying by PTI.
A case has been filed against the minor under section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder ) of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, the news agency reported. The probe has been transferred to the crime branch.
Kumar denied any pressure on the police and said that strict action would be taken against cops if they were found to be helping the teenager directly or indirectly, reported PTI.
With inputs from agencies
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