Pune Porsche Case: Isn’t It Confinement If Juvenile Is Kept in Custody After Bail, Asks HC

Marking the latest development in the Pune Porsche crash case, the Bombay High Court on Friday asked if it amounted to confinement when the accused juvenile was granted bail but was taken back into custody and kept in an observation home. On May 19, the 17-year-old, in an intoxicated state, had hit a two-wheeler driven by software engineers Anish Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta. While the teen was arrested within hours, he was released shortly after, triggering a national uproar.

In the latest development, a division bench of Justices Bharati Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande in the Bombay HC argued that although the crash was unfortunate, the child had suffered too. “Two people have lost their lives. There was trauma, but the child was also in trauma,” they said. Furthermore, they asked the police under which provision of law the order granting bail to the minor accused in the Porsche accident case was amended and how he has been kept in “confinement”.

This comes just two days after the accused teen’s aunt lodged a petition in the Bombay HC, demanding his immediate release, as his detention is illegal. The petitioner filed this case under Habeas corpus, accusing Pune police of taking advantage of the due process and abusing the rule of Law. She also claimed that her nephew’s continued detention completely contravenes provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.