Pune Porsche crash: MLA’s late-night visit, delay in alcohol test raise questions

Less than an hour after the incident, local MLA Sunil Tingre received a call from the teen’s father, and arrived at the police station where he had been taken. Tingre insisted this was not to pressure the police.

MLA Sunil Tingre and the Porsche car found without number plate, in Pune. (Photo: PTI)

An MLA who landed up at the police station past 3 am, a blood alcohol test conducted more than eight hours later, and allegations of leniency by the Juvenile Justice Board — as the death of two youths in the Pune Porsche accident draws national attention, questions are emerging on whether there were attempts to shield the accused.

Aneesh Awadhiya and Ashwani Koshta, engineers working in Pune’s Kalyani Nagar area, were killed after a speeding Porsche allegedly being driven by a 17-year-old knocked down their motorcycle around 2.30 am on Sunday. The accused’s father is a prominent realtor in Pune.

Less than an hour after the incident, local MLA Sunil Tingre received a call from the teen’s father, and arrived at the police station where he had been taken. Tingre insisted this was not to pressure the police.

“You can check my call records… I have not made any call to a police officer or politician to make the case weak against the accused. My political opponents are trying to spread canards to defame me,” he told The Indian Express.

Tingre said that on Sunday, his personal assistant and he received a call from the teen’s father at 3.20 am. “He told me his son was involved in an accident and a crowd was beating him up… I rushed to the spot, but the boy had already been taken to Yerawada police station. I went there, but the inspector was not present. He came after more than an hour. There was a lot of crowd present outside,” he said.

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Tingre said the inspector told him the boy was involved in an accident that claimed two lives. “After he told me the severity of the case, I told him to act as per the law. When I came out, I met his father and told him about the accident. The boy’s father also learnt about the deaths after reaching the police station. I left around 6 am,” he said.

He also denied allegations that he offered pizza and water to the boy: “I did not meet the boy nor did I have a word with him… How can I offer him pizza?”

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Tingre said that after leaving the police station, he called the teen’s father and also met police officials in the evening to get an update about the case. “By that time, the case had already been decided. Where is the question of my influencing the case?… If I had any such intention, I could have protected him and not allowed his name to come out,” he said.

The Pune police meanwhile faced criticism that they had deliberately failed to file a watertight case, which helped the accused walk out on bail on conditions like having to do social work for 15 days and write an essay.

While the accident took place around 2.30 am and the teen was caught by the crowd immediately, the police conducted the blood sample test at 11 am — more than eight hours later.

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When contacted, Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar said, “After the accident, the police team was busy handling the situation and the crowd. But yes, there was a delay in conducting the blood sample test. The boy was taken to Sassoon hospital around 9 am and the sample was collected around 11 am. We are trying to find out the reason behind the delay.”

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B G Kolse-Patil, a retired Bombay High Court judge, said the delay in conducting the blood sample test “means toning down the case against the accused”. “In eight hours, the alcohol passes away through the urine and the report will obviously come negative, working in favour of the accused,” he said.

The police chief also said that immediately after the accident, Section 304(A) (causing death by negligence) of the IPC was filed against the accused. “Later, after gathering full information about the severity of the accident, we upgraded the FIR and filed a complaint under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder). And the same was mentioned in the remand application moved before the JJB on Sunday,” he said.

On Sunday, too, Kumar had denied allegations that the police acted under pressure. “There is no question of any pressure. We have filed the most serious offence against the accused which we could have filed.”

Manoj Dattatrye More

Manoj Dattatrye More is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, having been with the publication since 1992. Based in Pune, he is a veteran journalist with a 33-year career that spans editorial desk work, investigative reporting, and political analysis. Professional Legacy Experience: He spent his first 16 years on the editorial desk before moving into active field reporting. He has written over 20,000 stories, including more than 10,000 bylined articles. Impact Journalism: He is widely respected for "campaign-style" reporting that leads to tangible social change. Road Safety: His decade-long campaign regarding the dangerous state of the Pune-Mumbai highway in Khadki resulted in a ₹23 crore reconstruction project in 2006, which dramatically reduced fatalities. Environmental Protection: His reports against tree cutting on the Pune-Mumbai and Pune-Nashik highways saved approximately 2,000 trees. Anti-Corruption: During the COVID-19 pandemic, he exposed a scam where doctors were being asked to pay bribes for government jobs, resulting in them being hired without payment. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Manoj More's recent work focuses heavily on the shifting political landscape of Maharashtra and civic governance in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area: 1. Political Shifts & Alliances "Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): A major report on the local self-government election results, detailing the NCP’s stronghold in Baramati, Indapur, and Lonavala. "BJP ropes in 13 ex-corporators, deals major blow to NCP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant political defection in Pimpri-Chinchwad as the BJP gears up for civic polls. "Congress opts for solo BMC run as alliance talks with Sena (UBT) collapse" (Dec 17, 2025): Covering the breakdown of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) talks for the Mumbai civic elections. "NCP(SP)'s Rahul Kalate, Sena (UBT) leader Sanjog Waghere set to join BJP" (Dec 19, 2025): Detailing high-profile party-hopping ahead of the municipal elections. 2. Civic & Administrative Accountability "PCMC draws ire for issuing tenders worth Rs 250 crore just before poll code" (Dec 17, 2025): An investigative piece on the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s last-minute spending spree before election restrictions. "93 killed in 76 accidents in five years: Bypass service roads in Pune remain undeveloped for 18 yrs" (Nov 16, 2025): A critical look at the long-delayed infrastructure projects contributing to fatalities on Pune’s bypass roads. 3. Social & Labor Issues "As state says TCS has laid off 376 employees: FITE flags figures, say nearly 2,500 were forced to quit" (Dec 11, 2025): Investigating conflicting reports regarding IT sector layoffs in Maharashtra. "Maharashtra govt move to 'downgrade' Aadhaar cards" (Nov 30, 2025): Reporting on the state’s decision to require additional documents alongside Aadhaar to combat identity misuse. Signature Beat Manoj More is the definitive voice on Pimpri-Chinchwad, an industrial hub he has covered for three decades. His reporting is characterized by its aggressive stance against local "gondaism" (thuggery) and a relentless focus on civic infrastructure—choked drains, garbage management, and public transport. X (Twitter): @manojmore91982 ... Read More

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