Pune Porsche crash: ‘What will people on streets do? Something needs to change in this situation,’ says judge

The Pune police on Tuesday arrested the minor’s father who has been booked under the provision of sections 75 and 77 of the Juvenile Justice Act on the charges of allowing his minor son to consume liquor and to drive the Porsche in inebriated condition. Police have also invoked provision of the Motor Vehicle Act for allowing a minor to drive without licence.

In the same offence, police have booked five persons including owners and manager of the two bars. Of these five, four persons — proprietor of restaurant Cosie, Naman Pralhad Bhutada (25), and its manager, Sachin Katkar (35), two managers of restaurant Blak, Sandip Sangale (34) and Jayesh Bonkar — were arrested on Tuesday. Of these, Bhutada, Katkar and Sangale were produced before a court in Pune and were remanded to police custody for three days till May 24. The father of the minor and Bonkar are expected to be produced before the court on Wednesday.

Police have also named Pralhad Bhutada (58), Naman’s father, as an accused in the case and has issued him a notice to appear before police for probe.

The three arrested accused were produced before the packed court of Additional Sessions Judge S P Ponkshe. Before she ruled on the police’s remand application, the Judge said addressing the accused, “What will the people on the streets do? Because those coming to big pubs will not go home walking. They will drive their vehicles. Something needs to change in this situation. Aren’t you aware how much alcohol is served to customers? Decide a limit for it.”

Senior Advocate S K Jain who represented the three accused produced in the court said, “The main argument of the defence was the legal provisions invoked against the father of the minor accused in the accident, cannot be invoked against our clients. These two charges need to separate.”

The judge further said, “Reason as well as logic needs to be considered while deciding on this remand application. The crime at this stage cannot be separated as submitted by the learned advocate for the accused. Considering the nature of offence and allegations against the accused and reasons for seeking their police custody, it is just and necessary that custodial remand to the accused is granted till May 24.”