Car accident in Pune: Grandfather of teenager detained for 'wrongful confinement' of family driver

Pune police have arrested the grandfather of the 17-year-old minor who allegedly fatally ran over two people with his Porsche, for alleged “wrongful confinement” of their family's driver, an official said on May 25, according to PTI.

The teenager's father, Vishal Agarwal, who is in police custody in connection with the car accident, has also been named in the case, the official added, according to PTI.

A day earlier, Pune police chief Amitesh Kumar had said that an attempt was made to establish that the high-end car was not driven by the minor, the report said.

“After the car accident, the teenager's grandfather and father allegedly kept the driver's phone with them and locked him in his house on the grounds of their bungalow from May 19 to 20. The driver was released by his wife,” the ministry said. head of the criminal branch, quoted by PTI.

The Yerawada police registered a separate offense against the teenager's grandfather and father based on a complaint filed by the family's driver. The two have been booked under IPC sections 365 (kidnapping with intent to secretly and unjustly confine a person) and 368 (concealment or unjust detention), the official said, according to PTI.

The officer further said, “Agarwal and his father allegedly threatened the driver and asked him to take responsibility by claiming that he was behind the wheel when the Porsche rammed into a motorcycle in the early hours of Sunday,” according to PTI .

Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar told reporters on Friday: “An attempt was made to establish that the Porsche was not driven by the 17-year-old, and the driver employed by his family even attempted to take responsibility for it. After the accident, the driver initially claimed that he was driving the car, adding, “Why and under whose pressure he said it would be disclosed at an appropriate time,” according to PTI.

Citing their investigation, Kumar said it came to light that the minor was driving the car and they had already collected all the necessary chronological evidence. “For example, when the minor left the house, the entry in the security register shows that he left with the car,” the commissioner added, according to PTI.

“He was fully reasonable, he was fully aware that due to his conduct, such an accident, to which Section 304 of the IPC is applicable, may occur,” the officer said. Section 304 deals with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, as cited. by PTI.

The Pune police on Friday suspended two police officers, including an inspector of Yerawada police station, for delay in reporting and dereliction of duty in the case.

The Porsche, allegedly driven by the teenager, who police said was drunk at the time, killed two software engineers on a motorcycle in Kalyani Nagar area in the early hours of Sunday, May 19.

A local court in Pune on Friday took into custody all six accused arrested in the case, including the teenager's father. The teenager is in an observation home until June 5.

The parents of the two IT workers killed in the accident, based in Madhya Pradesh, have demanded that the Supreme Court supervise the investigation and the trial be held in their state.

(With inputs from PTI)