People take part in a candlelight vigil march to pay condolences to motorbikers who were killed after being knocked down by a porsche car, in Pune, Friday, May 24, 2024.
-Credit: PTI Photo
Mumbai: In a series of fresh developments in the May 19 Porsche car accident case, the Pune police has arrested Surendra Kumar Agarwal, the grandfather of the minor who caused the accident. Earlier, the police had arrested his father Vishal Agarwal.
The grandfather, Surendra Kumar Agarwal has been accused of allegedly threatening and confining the family driver Gangaram Pujari and forcing him to take the blame for the accident in return for monetary consideration.
The driver is a witness in the case.
The Agarwal family owns the Brahma Group, a real estate and construction company, which was founded by Brahmadatt Agarwal.
While the 17-year-old minor was sent to the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Udyog Kendra, a juvenile correctional home, his father, Vishal, arrested by the Crime Branch of Pune police, is currently in judicial custody.
The grandfather, Surendra Kumar Agarwal has been remanded to police custody till May 28.
Pune’s Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar said that the Agarwals allegedly lured the driver with cash to claim responsibility for the accident committed by the minor. However, since the driver didn’t agree they threatened and confined him for two days at their home.
When Pujari did not return home the next day his wife and some other relatives intervened, after which he was allowed to go.
Vishal Agarwal too would be booked in this separate case.
Meanwhile, the Pune police suspended two police officials - Police Inspector Rahul Jagdale and Assistant Police Inspector Vishwanath Todkar, both attached to the Yerawada Police Station for dereliction of duty vis-a-vis the initial handling of the case.
The accident took place in Kalyani Nagar on May 19 and according to reports the boy, who did not have a driving license, was speeding the Porsche Taycan, which did not have any registration number plate, at over 200 kms per hour.
The speeding car hit a motorcycle, killing Aneesh Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta, both aged 24, working as IT engineers in Johnson Controls as data analysts. Aneesh and Ashwini hailed from Umaria and Jabalpur districts, respectively, of Madhya Pradesh.
The 17-year-old boy has been remanded to the Nehru Udyog Kendra Observation Home in Yerawada for 14 days until June 5, while his father Vishal Agarwal and pub owners and managers too have been held.