The Kalyani Nagar accident in Pune that claimed life of two people has drawn the ire of the public after the 17-year-old accused was granted bail. The accused Vedant Agarwal is the son of Vishal Agarwal, owner of the construction company Brahma Realty and Infrastructure. After the news of the accident and subsequent police action broke out, Sunil Tingre, the local MLA was criticised for using his political influence for Agarwal's bail since he is acquainted with his father. In a Twitter post, Tingre has detailed his involvement in the case and has denied any wrongdoing.
Tingre, who represents the Vadgaonsheri constituency was said to have gone to Yerwada Police Station where the accused was taken after the accident. He reportedly asserted that the driver Vedant Agarwal was responsible for the incident. This drew flak from the public who targeted Tingre over social media for covering the accident because of the involvement of an influential builder's son.
In his X post, Sunil Tingre claims that he was not remotely connected to the accident. He claimed that his opponents were spreading misinformation about his involvement and needed to clarify his role.
Tingre's colleagues first informed him about the accident on Sunday at 3 am, after which Tingre called Vishal Agarwal, whom he knows personally. Having visited the site of the accident personally, he then went to the Yerwada station. He was informed about the entire incident by the police inspector where he claims to have told the officers to take action against the accused. "I have not pressured the police in any way, even the police officers can admit this.", Tingre said.
Addressing accusations that he pressurised the police, Tingre commented, "In reality, I have always been opposed to 'nightlife' and have raised my voice against it from time to time. I have also given a letter to the Police Commissioner to take action against pubs, bars, terrace hotels as well as liquor sales, gambling houses, Hukkah parlours, drug dealings and massage parlours operating illegally in high-end areas such as Viman Nagar, Kalyani Nagar and Kgaradi...I will continue to oppose these illegal dealings."
Furthermore, Tingre has appealed to the citizens not to believe in rumours and denied all accusations.