Pune Porsche Case: Teen driver will be tried as a minor, says Juvenile Justice Board

Mumbai: In a setback for the Pune police, the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) on Tuesday ruled that the 17-year-old boy, accused of driving a Porsche car in an inebriated state and killing two persons last year, in Pune, will be tried as a minor and not an adult.

The crash case hit national headlines last year when the boy, allegedly in an inebriated state, killed two IT professionals during the crash. The Pune police had sought to try the teenager as an adult, citing the severity of the crime and the alleged attempts to tamper with evidence. The JJB, however, refused the police plea.

On May 19, 2024, two young IT professionals - Anish Awadhiya and Ashwini Costa - who were riding a motorcycle were hit by the Porsche driven by the accused. The accused, however, was granted bail within hours of his arrest, asking the accused to write a 300-word essay on road safety, sparking widespread outrage. The backlash led to the boy being sent to an observation home in Pune three days later.


However, on June 25, 2024, the Bombay High Court intervened and ordered the boy's immediate release. The court ruled that the JJB's orders sending him to an observation home were illegal and that the law regarding juveniles must be fully implemented.

Tuesday's decision means that the teenager will face proceedings under the Juvenile Justice Act, which governs the treatment and trial of minors in conflict with the law. The ruling has once again sparked controversy, with many questioning the accountability of juveniles involved in serious crimes.