‘Anger at former MLA, disappointment with the system’: How Pune Porsche crash victim’s parents are living out their days
Aneesh Awadhiya, an IT engineer in Pune, and his friend Ashwini Koshta were killed after their motorbike was reportedly hit by a Porsche driven by a drunk 17-year-old.
Pune Porsche crash victim Aneesh Awadhiya (extreme left) with his family in happier times. (Photo Credit: Special Arrangement) It will be two years since Om and Savita Awadhiya, who live in Umaria, Madhya Pradesh, received the news that would shatter their lives. Their son, Aneesh Awadhiya, 24, an IT engineer in Pune, and his friend Ashwini Koshta were killed after his motorbike was allegedly hit by a Porsche driven by a drunk 17-year-old.
“As we approach May 18-19, I begin to relive the memories of all that had happened in the days before the tragedy. I remember the times I had talked to him. Phir wahi din, wahi samay bas nikalta ja raha hai (That day, that moment keeps passing by). What compounds our sorrow is that we have lost everything, but nothing has happened to the accused. It seems everybody has forgotten about the Porsche case,” says Savita Awadhiya.
At present, all the family members of the accused are out on bail. The minor, who is now an adult, was granted bail within 15 hours of the incident. His mother, who was accused of tampering with evidence and misleading investigators, was granted bail around April 2025. In March this year, the Supreme Court granted bail to the father. The Awadhiya family watched these developments on TV. They wonder when the hearing on the court case will begin.
“The lawyers are working but we don’t know what is happening. Hamari kuch samajh mein hi nahin aa raha ki hum aage kya karein. (We don’t know how to go ahead),” says Savita Awadhiya. She adds that the family has been living each day with grief.
When there is anger, it comes cloaked in sorrow and disappointment with the system. “What does one say about Sunil Tingre ji, the then-MLA, who reached the Yerwada police station at 3 am to protect the minor? He got doctors and others also involved. We believe that Tingre should have been added to the list of the accused. It was such a tragic accident and, yet, powerful people were busy subverting the probe,” says Om Awadhiya. He alleges that the police had tried to stop Aneesh Awadhiya’s friend from filing an FIR. Incidentally, Tingre, from the Nationalist Congress Party, lost the Assembly election in 2024.
“Our children will not come back but we were pleased to learn that a board had been put up at the spot of the accident in their memory. Now, that board has been removed. We would feel some relief if the board or a memorial were erected so that other wealthy parents would hesitate before giving their cars to minors,” says Om Awadhiya.
He says it is imperative that Pune – and the rest of the country – does not forget the Porsche case. “It should serve as a reminder that even powerful people can go to jail,” says Om Awadhiya. Memories are important to them, not just as a confetti of pictures from the past but as a source of strength for the future. “It is our appeal that the people of Pune visit the site and conduct a small memorial event. We are in Madhya Pradesh and will mourn at home. But, will the local MLA and a few people of Pune come out and grieve with us?” asks Om Awadhiya.
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