Attempt made to show teen was not driving Porsche, says Pune top cop, admits to probe lapses

PTI

Pune, May 24

An attempt was made to make it appear that the Porsche that fatally knocked down two persons in Kalyani Nagar area here was not driven by a 17-year-old but by his family's driver, the Pune police chief said on Friday as two police officials were suspended for lapses committed during the probe.

A local court remanded the six accused arrested in the case, including the teenager's father Vishal Agarwal, in judicial custody even though police sought their further custody.

Late in the evening, the probe was transferred to the crime branch from the Yerawada police station where the initial case was registered.

Elsewhere, the Madhya Pradesh-based parents of the two IT professionals who were killed in the accident on May 19 demanded that the Supreme Court monitor the probe and the trial be held in their state.

There was enough evidence showing that the teenager was driving the car, Pune police commissioner Amitesh Kumar told reporters.

“We have the CCTV footage of him (juvenile) drinking liquor in the pub....He was fully in his senses, he had full knowledge that due to his conduct, such an accident, where IPC section 304 is applicable, can happen,” Kumar said. Section 304 deals with culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

On reports of the juvenile being served pizza after the incident, Kumar said "a pizza party didn't happen in the police station".

"But yes, something had happened on which we have initiated an internal investigation,” he added.

“During our investigation, it has clearly emerged that the juvenile was driving the car and we have already collected all the necessary chronological evidence. For example, when the juvenile left the house, the entry on the security register shows that he left with the car,” the commissioner said.

As per the police, the driver employed by the teenager's family was in the car. Kumar said attempts were made to show that he was at the wheel and not the teen when the vehicle fatally knocked down two persons on motorbike around 3 am on Sunday.

The commissioner conceded that while the juvenile was sent to Sassoon General Hospital around 9 am on Sunday, his blood samples were collected at 11 pm, but maintained that "blood report is not the pillar of our case”. The report was yet to be received.

In the initial FIR, section 304 A (death by negligence) was applied but it was revised with section 304 the same day as the crime warranted that (more serious) section, Kumar said.

There are complaints that some eyewitnesses were pressured, he said. “If such things come to the fore, strict action will be taken against the police officer concerned,” he added.