Pune Police have apprehended the father of a 17-year-old boy whose car allegedly struck and killed two people in the Kalyani Nagar area. The father, who had been evading authorities since the incident, was captured in Maharashtra’s Sambhajinagar and will be brought to Pune shortly.
Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar emphasized the gravity of the incident, stating, “Police have taken the incident seriously and have taken action under IPC section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder). We moved two applications in this case and also took action under sections 75 (punishment for cruelty to a child) and 77 (penalty for giving intoxicating liquor or narcotic drug or psychotropic substance to a child) of the Juvenile Justice Act against the father of the accused.”
Commissioner Kumar reassured the public that the police are committed to pursuing justice without bias, saying, “Any misconception of soft peddling by the police is not correct. Anyone found supporting the accused shall be dealt with severe punishment. Have faith in us. The guilty shall be punished irrespective of his economic strata.”
The tragic accident occurred early Sunday morning when a group of friends were returning home on motorbikes around 3:15 am after a party. A speeding luxury car collided with one of the motorcycles at the Kalyani Nagar junction, resulting in the deaths of Anis Awadhiya and Ashwini Costa.
The Juvenile Justice Board’s decision to grant the young driver bail on the same day, with the condition that he write an essay on road accidents, has sparked widespread criticism. The teenager, son of a real estate developer, was reportedly intoxicated at the time of the accident. He faces charges under section 304 of the Indian Penal Code and various sections of the Motor Vehicles Act.
Ashwini Costa’s family expressed their dismay at the bail conditions and vowed to pursue justice. “We are in shock,” said her uncle, Sachin Bokde. “It is condemnable that he should get bail in 15 hours. He and his parents should be investigated. We will discuss the matter once Ashwini’s last rites are over.” The family plans to seek the cancellation of the young driver’s bail and insist on his continued custody.
Ashwini, a 25-year-old software engineer who had recently joined Johnson Controls Company after a stint at Amazon, had been living in Pune for the past two years. Her father, Suresh Kumar Costa, works as an office assistant in Maharashtra’s electricity department, while her brother, Samprit Costa, is a software engineer in Bengaluru.
The bodies of the deceased were brought back to their respective hometowns for their last rites. The families of the victims, along with the community, are calling for stringent actions against those responsible for the tragedy.
