As the death of two youths in the Pune Porsche accident gains national attention, questions are emerging about potential attempts to shield the accused, including an MLA who arrived at the police station after 3 am, a blood alcohol test conducted more than eight hours later, and allegations of leniency by the Juvenile Justice Board.

A speeding Porsche, allegedly driven by a 17-year-old, knocked down Aneesh Awadhiya and Ashwani Koshta, engineers working in Pune’s Kalyani Nagar area, killing them around 2.30 am on Sunday. The accused’s father is a prominent realtor in Pune.

Less than an hour after the incident, the teen’s father called local MLA Sunil Tingre, who promptly arrived at the police station where the teen had been taken. Tingre insisted that his visit was not intended to pressure the police.

Pune MLA Clarifies The Allegations Against Him

“I haven’t made any calls to police officers or politicians to weaken the case against the accused. My political opponents are attempting to spread false accusations to tarnish my reputation,” he informed The Indian Express.

Tingre stated that on Sunday, he and his personal assistant received a call from the teen’s father at 3:20 am. “He informed us that his son was involved in an accident and was being assaulted by a crowd… I hurried to the scene, but the boy had already been taken to Yerawada police station. Upon my arrival there, I found that the inspector was absent. He arrived more than an hour later. There was a significant crowd gathered outside,” Tingre recounted.

Tingre stated that the inspector informed him about the boy’s involvement in an accident that resulted in two fatalities. “Upon hearing about the seriousness of the situation, I instructed him to proceed according to the law. Subsequently, I informed the boy’s father about the accident when I encountered him outside the police station. The boy’s father also learned about the deaths upon arriving at the police station. “I left around 6 am,” he clarified.

He also refuted allegations that he offered pizza and water to the boy: “I neither met the boy nor had any conversation with him… How could I offer him pizza?”

Tingre mentioned that after departing from the police station, he contacted the teen’s father and later met with police officials in the evening to receive an update about the case. “By that time, the case had already been resolved. So, where is the possibility of me influencing the case?… If I had such intentions, I could have shielded him and prevented his name from being disclosed,” he asserted.

Teen Was Granted Immediate Bail

Meanwhile, the Pune police faced criticism for allegedly intentionally failing to file a solid case, resulting in the accused being granted bail under conditions such as performing social work for 15 days and composing an essay.

Delay In Blood Sample Test Highlighted 

Although the accident occurred around 2:30 am and the teen was apprehended by the crowd immediately, the police conducted the blood sample test at 11 am — more than eight hours later.

When contacted, Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar stated, “Following the accident, the police team was occupied with managing the situation and the crowd. However, there was indeed a delay in conducting the blood sample test. The boy was transported to Sassoon hospital around 9 am, and the sample was collected around 11 am. We are currently investigating what caused the delay.”

Retired Bombay High Court judge B G Kolse-Patil remarked that the delay in conducting the blood sample test “implies downplaying the case against the accused.” He stated, “In eight hours, the alcohol dissipates through urine, and the report will naturally turn out negative, favoring the accused.”

The police chief also stated that they filed Section 304(A) (causing death by negligence) of the IPC against the accused immediately after the accident. “Subsequently, after obtaining comprehensive information about the severity of the accident, we upgraded the FIR and lodged a complaint under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder). This was also indicated in the remand application submitted before the JJB on Sunday,” he explained.

On Sunday, Kumar had previously refuted allegations that the police succumbed to pressure. “There is absolutely no pressure involved. We have filed the most severe offense against the accused that we could have filed.”

Also Read: Pune Teen Barred From Driving Until 25, Unregistered Porsche Raises Concerns