Enraged netizens are mocking the judiciary after the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB), asked a teenage Porsche car driver who mowed down two young techies in Pune, to pen a 300-word essay on road safety, and assist the traffic police for 15 days before granting him bail within 14 hours after the horrific accident. While some called it a ‘travesty of justice’ and a ‘cruel joke’ others drew parallels between the Arshad Warsi and Boman Irani movie, Jolly LLB (2013) which had a similar hit-and-run case. Several ‘X’ users called the punishment ‘lenient’ and mocked it with memes of other ‘Absconding’ and ‘Wanted’ criminals.
Victims Aneesh Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta
For the two young victims — Aneesh Awadhiya (24) and Ashwini Koshta (24), both IT engineers, a simple weekend dinner turned into a tragedy. The devastated parents of the two deceased computer engineers have called it a ‘murder’ not an ‘accident.’ The accused, who is three months short of turning 18, is the son of a prominent builder in Pune. He partied with his friends at Cosie Bar and Restaurant after his HSC exam results till the wee hours. The teenagers were served alcohol there. The bar was raided by the excise department and has now been sealed. The cops have arrested the owners and managers of the hotel and the pub. At the time of the accident, the boy was driving the Porsche car without a driving license at a speed of 200km/hour around 2 am on Sunday, May 19, 2024. The impact was so deadly that Aneesh and Ashwini were thrown 20 feet apart. Both died on the spot. Vinita Joshi, a behavioural psychologist from Pune says, “The accident could have been avoided had the parents not given the underage boy the freedom to learn and drive the car. Parents have to inculcate good values in their kids and make them aware of what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ as per the law. Two innocent lives have been lost in the incident.”
Angry Netizens
The incident has led to widespread protests across the country on the ground as well as in virtual space. A X user held a placard for justice saying: “Is the Indian judiciary system a joke?” Ravi Dixit, another X user posted ganster-terrorist Dawood Ibrahim’s photo saying: “I’m ready to come back to India and surrender if the courts assure me bail like the Pune guy. I’m willing to work with the CBI for 15 days and learn about the law enforcement operations and write a 300-word essay.” An X user who goes by the name The Skin Doctor shared a photo of loan defaulter Vijay Mallya saying, “I’m ready to come back to India and surrender if the courts assure me bail under similar stringent conditions as they did for that Pune guy. I’m willing to work with SBI for 15 days to learn about bank operations and write a 300-word essay on how to repay the loan.”
Political Slugfest
The Pune police have registered a case against the youngster under IPC section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and slapped other sections of the Motor Vehicles Act on him. But the case has now snowballed into a political slugfest. Opposition leaders from the Maha Vikas Aghadi claim that the accused was served pizzas in detention while the bodies of Aneesh and Ashwini lay outside in blood. Shiv Sena-UBT MP Sanjay Raut has sought a thorough probe into the incident. Rattled by public outrage amid the ongoing general elections, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis immediately rushed to Pune on Tuesday. Promising stern action, Fadnavis said, “I find the juvenile board’s order rather astonishing. How could they treat such a serious case in this manner? It is really shocking.” Fadnavis told media persons that the police acted as per the law and had invoked the correct IPC sections. The police have challenged the JJB order in a higher court.
Bail Conditions
• Write an essay on accidents and road safety
• Work with the Yerwada traffic police in Pune for 15 days
• Undergo treatment for his drinking habit and take counselling sessions
