Pune: Drunk IT professional rams car into pub’s parking, valet attendant dead

“A prima facie probe has revealed that he came to the Toit pub in the afternoon. As he was drunk, the pub staffers said they would book a cab for him. But he got into his car and while driving it out of the pub premises, he lost control, due to which the car went on to hit the counter in the valet parking area. A valet attendant was crushed between the wall behind him and the counter, in the incident. The injured worker was taken to a hospital, but he died. We have detained the car driver, who was found to be under the influence of alcohol when the incident took place. Further investigation is on,” Bagwan added.

Toit pub issued a statement, “We are extremely sad to report that there was an incident outside our restaurant this afternoon around 3 PM, resulting in the loss of life of one of our colleagues, Satendar Mandal. A driver rammed his car into Mandal, who worked as a valet attendant. An FIR has been registered with the Yerawada Police Station and the authorities are investigating the incident. We are extending our complete cooperation with the police to help bring justice to the victim. The entire team at Toit deeply mourns this incident and we request that our privacy be respected during this difficult time.”

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 4) Somay Munde said the accused driver has been taken into custody. “His medical examination is on. An offence of culpable homicide not amounting to murder will be registered against the accused,” Munde said.

The incident comes months after residents of Kalyani Nagar raised concerns about the rising number of pubs, bars and restaurants in the neighbourhood. In July this year, they held a public interaction to highlight issues related to noise, traffic and late-night disturbances.

Following this, in August, Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar constituted a joint committee with senior police officials, representatives of the Pune Municipal Corporation, the District Collector, the State Excise Department and a reputed citizen from the area to address the concerns.

Earlier, Pune police had intensified action against “disorderly conduct” at and outside pubs after a 17-year-old boy, allegedly under the influence of alcohol consumed at two hotels, rammed a Porsche into a motorcycle at Kalyani Nagar junction on May 19, 2024, killing two IT engineers.

In the aftermath of that crash, residents of Kalyani Nagar and Koregaon Park renewed demands for strict action against the disturbances caused due to extended operating hours of pubs and restaurants.