Pune car crash: Teen’s grandfather, friend, driver quizzed; Porsche examined

Pune Police on Thursday (May 23) questioned the grandfather of the teen who allegedly rammed his father’s Porsche into a motorbike killing two recently, while a forensic team examined the vehicle.

Crime Branch officials also quizzed the friend of the accused and the driver employed by his family who were accompanying him in the car when the accident occurred in Kalyani Nagar area.

A Porsche car, allegedly driven by the minor accused, who the police claim was drunk at the time, fatally knocked down two motorbike-borne software engineers at Kalyani Nagar in the city in the early hours of Sunday. The teenager was sent to the observation home by the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) on Wednesday.

Reports said the teen has claimed that it was the driver who was at the wheel when the accident occurred, and that his two friends who were in the car have corroborated the claim.

Grandfather confronts father

"The grandfather, one of the friends of the teenager who was with him in the car when the accident took place, and the driver were questioned today in connection with the car accident," a crime branch official said.

The teen’s father, a builder has already been arrested.

While the minor's grandfather was being taken to confront his son at the police commissionerate, some reporters tried to ask him questions, following which a man accompanying him heckled and obstructed them. It led to a heated exchange of words before the police intervened. It was a team of police personnel who whisked away the man inside a room to ensure that the situation did not escalate further.

The boy's grandfather and his son, who is already in police custody, were confronted as some facts related to the case needed to be corroborated, the official said.

“Since the luxury car is in the name of the realty firm owned by the Agarwals, the grandfather of the minor, who is one of the owners of the firm, was questioned in regards to the ownership of the car," he said.

Driver may be treated as witness: Police

A friend of the minor who was with him in the car was also questioned to verify and corroborate the sequence of events that took place in the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, he added.

The police, while seeking the custody of the minor's father, had told the court on Wednesday that as the juvenile wanted to drive the car, the driver called his employer (minor's father) and told him about his son's demand and it was his dad who told the driver to let his son drive the car.

The officer said that the driver may be presented in the court as a witness in the case.

Police collect technical evidence, CCTV footage

Reports said, police have also collected technical evidence including data from the GPS and footage of CCTV cameras around the vehicle.

CCTV footage of the entire route through which the car traversed – from residence to Cosie restaurant, then to Blak Club and from there to the accident spot – to see who was driving it, are reportedly being collected.

A forensic team also carried out an examination of the Porsche car which was involved in the accident.

"A team today conducted the examination of the car, which is in the possession of the Yerawada police station. We have already carried out the forensic examination of the spot and now the car has also been examined. The technical aspects such as GPS, the cameras around the car were examined," said another senior police officer, who is currently monitoring the investigation.

The police said that they have seized one phone belonging to the minor's father who is currently in police custody.

Meanwhile, BJP leader and Rajya Sabha member Medha Kulkarni posted on X saying that the accident showed the Juvenile Justice Act needs to be reviewed as so-called minors like this boy are using the law to get away with serious crimes.

(With inputs from agencies)