Pune police summon minor accused in rash driving case, ask him to appear before Juvenile Justice Board

Pune (Maharashtra): The Pune Police have summoned the minor accused in the Pune rash driving case. The police have asked the juvenile to appear before the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) on Wednesday.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Pune Excise Department took decisive action by sealing the Cosie Bar and the Black Bar in Pune. These establishments allegedly served liquor to the minor before the accident, officials reported. The managers of the bars were also arrested by the Police.

Another accused said to be the owner of one of the bars was also arrested. The local court has sent them to Police Custody till May 24.

Additionally, two more accused -- the juvenile's father and another bar owner -- are currently detained, and the process to arrest them is underway, the police officials said. The father of the juvenile accused was detained on May 21.

Pune Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar said that the Pune Police are seeking permission to try the juvenile accused in the Pune rash driving case.

The incident occurred in the early hours of May 19 when a luxury car, driven by the juvenile, collided with a motorcycle near Kalyani Nagar in Pune. The crash resulted in the untimely deaths of two young individuals, identified as Ashwini Koshta and Aneesh Awadhia. The juvenile driver was apprehended but later given bail by the Juvenile Justice Board.

Meanwhile, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) Chairperson Priyank Kanoongo on Tuesday urged activists and media personnel to refrain from revealing the identity of the minor accused in the Pune car accident case. He emphasised that doing so would be a crime under the Juvenile Justice Act, which prohibits disclosing the identity of juvenile offenders or victims.

On May 21, Pune Commissioner of Police (CP) Amitesh Kumar firmly stated that the police have taken the most stringent possible measures in response to the car accident in the city that claimed two lives.

Addressing the media, CP Kumar emphasised that from the outset, the police have acted decisively, registering the offence under Section 304 (culpable homicide that does not amount to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), ensuring the case was presented in court for trial, and taking action against the father of the accused and the pub owners under the Juvenile Justice Act.

On May 19, the Juvenile Justice Board granted bail to the accused involved in a recent car accident in Pune, said the juvenile accused's advocate, Prashant Patil. The bail comes with several conditions aimed at rehabilitation and awareness.