In the unfolding Porsche crash case, where a 17-year-old allegedly drove under the influence, resulting in the death of two individuals, the situation has taken a twist. 

The grandfather of the accused teenager, now arrested for allegedly trying to manipulate evidence by implicating the family driver, raises concerning questions about the integrity of those involved in this dreadful case.

The attempt to shift blame onto the family driver by making it appear as if he was driving the car at the time of the accident is a disturbing revelation. 

Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar on Friday said attempts were made to show that an adult, the family driver, was at the wheel and not the teen when the vehicle fatally knocked down two persons in Pune’s Kalyani Nagar area around 3 am on Sunday.

“We are investigating these things and will take action against those who made such attempts, under section 201 (destruction of evidence) of the IPC,” he said.

There were attempts to make it appear as if the adult driver was driving the car, but that bid was foiled, Kumar told reporters. “We have the CCTV footage of him (juvenile) drinking liquor in the pub.

The point of saying this is that our case is not alone depending on the blood report as we have other evidence also,” the officer said. “He (juvenile) was fully in his senses, He had full knowledge that due to his conduct, such an accident, where section 304 is applicable, can happen,” Kumar said.

Thankfully, because of the public outcry and the vigilance regarding what happened in this case, despite efforts to fabricate an alternate narrative, evidence such as CCTV footage depicting the teenager consuming alcohol at a pub strengthens the case against him. The footage indicates that the spoilt brat was fully aware of the potential consequences of his actions, indicating a culpable state of mind.

“During our investigation, it has clearly emerged that the juvenile was driving the car and we have already collected all the necessary chronological evidence. For example, when the juvenile left the house, the entry on the security register shows that he left with the car,” he said.

On the basis of technical and CCTV evidence, it is confirmed that the car was being driven by the juvenile, the police chief said. 

Eyewitnesses have also corroborated that the teenager, son of real estate developer Vishal Agarwal, was driving the Porsche at the time of the accident, he said.

The police have also arrested the teenager’s father.

I Did Not Know

The grandfather is said to have told the police that he was unaware of the potential consequences of giving the car keys to his minor grandson. 

The grandfather’s claim of ignorance regarding the consequences of entrusting the car keys to his minor grandson appears feeble, especially considering the tragic outcome.

The family’s driver later told the police that the teenager drove the Porsche from their Wadgaon Sheri bungalow to Cosie and later to the Blak Marriott pub.

“The driver and another employee followed the Porsche in another vehicle. After partying at Blak Marriott, the driver retrieved the Porsche from the pub’s valet,” the police revealed.

Following the Porsche crash case, the excise department launched a crackdown on bars and pubs in Pune. 

So far, 32 establishments have been sealed by officials sparking a protest by these establishments’ owners and staff. 

On Friday morning, hundreds gathered in protest, claiming that the excise department’s action has rendered 60,000 people jobless

Questions, Call For Action

However, while arrests have been made, questions linger regarding the systemic failures that allowed such a tragedy to occur. 

What about those whose ‘lethargy’ and inefficient work contributed towards such a mishappen to happen in the first place?

We are talking about the RTO, which let an unregistered car run on the Pune roads; we are talking about the traffic personnel, who never flagged the car to question why it was being driven.

Moreover, scrutiny falls on the initial leniency shown by the judge who imposed a seemingly trivial punishment of writing an essay on the offender. 

Shouldn’t the judge be held accountable for such leniency in the face of such a grave offence? 

Should no action be taken against the judge, who has shown that he is not the right person to hold such an important post in the judiciary?

This leniency is an example of a deeper issue of preferential treatment towards the affluent and influential within the justice system, and the facts of the case paint a troubling picture of privilege and entitlement. 

The teenager’s extravagant spending (spent 90k in a matter of hours) is the amount of cash that this 17-year-old had access to; this was his lifestyle, and these were the ‘liberties’ (underage drinking) his family allowed him!

Lawyering Up, Prashant Patil 

The lawyer representing the case, Prashant Patil, apparently said that the courts were kind enough to grant him bail on certain bail conditions that the parents met.

Ironically, the line of argument has already been set in this case – anxiety, depression, mental imbalance, and such are being set as and for the foundation of this case!

How are only rich, influential, consequential, or even politicians affected by these ‘medical conditions’? 

Don’t and can’t such conditions afflict ordinary citizens, and if so, why are they not shown ‘leniency’ like these spoilt rich brats?

Such is the deplorable state of our judicial system that a rich brat without a driver’s license drives an unregistered car, can drive on the roads of this country and can also avail bail in 15 hours.

What bail amount was he required to pay, and how much was it?

Why are these conditions seemingly exclusive to the wealthy and powerful? 

Shouldn’t all individuals, regardless of their social status, be treated equally under the law?

In light of these revelations, the deplorable state of the judicial system is laid bare. 

It is unacceptable that a wealthy individual without a driver’s license can drive an unregistered car with impunity and secure bail within a mere 15 hours. 

The question is, do these actions truly reflect the severity of the offence?