The grandfather of the teenage accused in the Pune Porsche drunk driving case has provided details to the police denying his involvement in threatening the family driver.
SK Agrawal, who was arrested in a separate “wrongful confinement” case, said he was in Delhi when the accident occurred and returned to Pune last Sunday around 11 am. The grandfather questioned how he could have threatened the driver if he wasn’t present at the scene in Kalyani Nagar involving the 17-year-old boy.
He further explained that the driver had been working with the Agrawal family for 7-8 years. On the night of the accident, the driver was at the police station until the early hours of Sunday. Agrawal mentioned that after the accident, fearing mob attacks due to public sentiment, he chose to stay in the servant quarters of the Agrawal family.
He said the driver sought protection from the public, which is why he voluntarily stayed in the staff quarters. Agrawal also noted that he had previously stayed in the staff quarters on several occasions. The driver returned home the following day. On Saturday, a court in Pune remanded Agrawal in police custody until May 28.
Earlier, Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar informed the media that the juvenile’s father and grandfather allegedly offered cash and gifts to their family driver and later threatened him to take the blame for the accident. The police arrested the grandfather for “wrongful confinement” of the family driver.
In court, the police sought Agrawal’s custody for seven days. The teenager’s grandfather and his father, Vishal Agarwal, a real estate developer, have been booked under IPC sections 365 (kidnapping with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine a person) and 368 (wrongfully concealing or keeping in confinement).
Meanwhile, citizens in Pune participated in a candle march on Saturday to pay tribute to Anish Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta, the two IT professionals killed in the crash involving a minor in Kalyani Nagar area. The silent protest also demanded action against late-night illegal activities in residential areas.
Earlier, the parents of the victims, originally from Madhya Pradesh, have called for the Supreme Court to monitor the probe and hold the trial in their home state. “We will not rest until we get justice,” said Suresh Kumar Koshta, Ashwini’s father.
Pune Police have collected CCTV footage showing the juvenile drinking in a pub, confirming he was driving the car at the time of the accident. Following public outrage over the juvenile’s initial bail, the Juvenile Justice Board remanded him to an observation home until June 5.
The police have also arrested the owner and employees of the bars where the teen consumed alcohol for serving liquor to an underage person. Two police officials have been suspended for lapses during the initial probe. The investigation has now been transferred to the crime branch.
Explore in-depth coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Schedule, Voter Turnout, Upcoming Phase And Much More At News18 Website
Comments
0 comment