Vishal Agarwal : “Pune teen Porsche driver’s father missing, arrested by cops”

The father of the 17-year-old boy, who allegedly ran over two bike-borne youths with his speeding unregistered Porsche, while he was under the influence of alcohol in Pune’s Kalyaninagar on May 19, was held from Maharashtra’s Aurangabad on Tuesday morning.

Vishal Agarwal, a well-known real estate magnate of Bramha Realty and Infrastructure, was brought to Pune and subsequently arrested.

Agarwal, father of the minor who was granted bail within 15 hours of detention, had been on the run since his son was apprehended in the early hours of Sunday after the tragic incident that claimed the lives of two techies from Madhya Pradesh who were working in Pune.

Reasons for the father’s arrest

Pune Police arrested Vishal Agarwal and filed an FIR alleging that despite knowing his son was a minor and did not possess a valid license, the senior Agarwal provided him with the car, thereby putting the boy’s life at risk.

Additionally, the father has been charged for allowing his underage son to consume alcohol, as the boy was reportedly intoxicated at the time of the fatal accident on Sunday.

It is important to note that the legal drinking age in Maharashtra is 25.

Vishal Agarwal faces charges under sections 75 and 77 of the Juvenile Justice Act, which relate to the deliberate neglect of a child and providing intoxicating substances to a minor, respectively.

Furthermore, he has also been booked under relevant sections of the Motor Vehicles Act (MVA) after it was discovered that the Porsche car he purchased for his son in March had not yet been registered.

Pub owners also arrested

The owner of Cozy Hotel, where the minor was reportedly partying, has been arrested for serving alcohol to the underage driver. The hotel manager and another individual have also been taken into custody for their involvement in serving alcohol.

Pune Police seeks higher court intervention

Following the bail granted to the minor by the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) in Pune, the Pune Police has approached the sessions court to request permission to try him as an adult in the case.

The boy is just four months shy of turning 18 years old.

Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar stated that the police swiftly moved to the Court after the incident to seek permission to try the accused as an adult under Section 15 of the Juvenile Justice Act, as the offense was classified as a ‘heinous crime’ under section 2 of the Act. This measure was taken to prevent the accused from obtaining bail.

“Despite our best efforts, the Honourable Court denied our application and granted bail to the accused,” CP Pune explained.

“We have appealed this decision before the higher court,” the senior police officer confirmed.

Public outrage over minor’s quick bail

The juvenile driver was arrested, taken into custody, and presented before the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) on the same day of the accident, where he was granted bail. The conditions of his release, which included community service and educational tasks, sparked widespread criticism.

The uncle of one of the victims expressed his dismay, stating that the conditions imposed on the accused were unacceptable and reflected poorly on the country’s legal system.

The swift release of the juvenile driver within 15 hours of his arrest has provoked public outrage, with many deeming the punishment inadequate for the severity of the crime.

One of the victim’s relatives lamented, “The conditions for bail granted to the accused are unimaginable. This reflects poorly on India’s law and order system. I fear that justice will not be served in this case.”