Porsche crash case: Police move court to try teen as adult

DCP (Crime) Nikhil Pingale confirmed that the Pune district collector, representing the state government, granted the police permission to move the appeal on July 31.

Pune:The Pune Police have filed an appeal before the sessions court against the Juvenile Justice Board’s (JJB) July 15 order which rejected their plea to try the drunk 17-year-old Porsche Taycan driver as an adult in the May 19, 2024 accident that killed two young IT professionals in Kalyaninagar.

The Pune Police have filed an appeal before the sessions court against the Juvenile Justice Board’s (JJB) July 15 order which rejected their plea to try the drunk 17-year-old Porsche Taycan driver as an adult in the May 19, 2024 accident that killed two young IT professionals in Kalyaninagar. (HT)

DCP (Crime) Nikhil Pingale confirmed that the Pune district collector, representing the state government, granted the police permission to move the appeal on July 31. “We filed the application on August 4 after the district collector gave us permission for the same.”

“We have challenged the Juvenile Justice Board’s order on the grounds that it is illegal and arbitrary. Given the gravity of the offence and the accused’s age, 17 years and 8 months, a psychological evaluation was necessary to determine whether he should be tried as an adult,” Shishir Hiray, the government’s lawyer said.

The appeal, filed under Section 101 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, argues that JJB’s order is “illegal and arbitrary.” Advocate Sarthi Pansare, assisting Hiray, said the accident should be treated as an exceptional case, given the severity and surrounding circumstances.

“ A psychological assessment was essential to determine whether he had the mental capacity of a minor or an adult at the time,” Pansare said.

The appeal also highlights that the application of Section 467 of the Indian Penal Code (forgery involving tampering with blood samples, considered a form of valuable security) brings the possibility of life imprisonment. “Even though Section 467 does not carry a minimum sentence, if a minor is convicted under this section, Section 233(2) of the JJ Act provides for a minimum of seven years’ imprisonment if tried as an adult,” Pansare added.

The case drew nationwide attention after JJB initially granted bail to the teen with lenient conditions, including writing a 300-word essay on road safety.