A 17-year-old boy, involved in a tragic Porsche crash that killed two young IT professionals, spent Rs 48,000 within 90 minutes at one of the two pubs he visited hours before the accident. The teenager and his friends were served alcohol at Cosie Restaurant and Hotel Blak Club, which are now under scrutiny for violating laws by serving liquor to minors.
According to Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar, the entire bill was paid at Cosie, the first pub the group visited at 10:40 PM on Saturday. On the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, the minor and his friends frequented the two establishments between 9:30 PM and 1:00 AM, consuming alcohol in the process.
The Maharashtra Excise Department sealed both establishments on Tuesday, following orders from the Pune district collectorate. The police have arrested the boy’s father and four executives from the restaurants for serving liquor to a minor.
In a controversial decision, the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) granted the teen bail on the same day of the hearing, also mandating him to write an essay on road accidents. This verdict has faced substantial public criticism.
In response to the incident, the Maharashtra Transport Department has barred the teenager from obtaining a driving license until he turns 25. It was also revealed that the permanent registration of the Porsche Taycan had been pending since March due to an unpaid fee of Rs 1,758.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the home portfolio, expressed shock over the JJB’s lenient view and advocated for trying the teenager as an adult.
In the wake of public outrage, the excise department has launched a special inspection drive to ensure pubs and licensed restaurants do not serve liquor to minors or operate beyond the 1:30 AM deadline. Violations will result in cases against such establishments and possible cancellation of their licenses.
The accident occurred in Kalyani Nagar early Sunday morning, resulting in the deaths of Anish Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta, both 24-year-old IT professionals from Madhya Pradesh working in Pune.
