Maharashtra Government has sacked two state appointed Members of Juvenile Justice Board, Pune on the charge of "misuse of power", State commissioner for women and child development said on Thursday. The two members had faced a probe over the bail granted to the 17-year-old Juvenile accused driver in the May 19 Porsche car crash with a condition of writing a 300-word essay on road safety, among other controversial bail conditions. The women and child development department issued a notification on Tuesday for mentioning of sacking both members.
The notification stated that after holding an inquiry by the state government, the two members had been found guilty of misusing their powers vested under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children Act, 2015) and so the government had terminated their appointment. Notably in a tragic incident on May 19, 2024, in Pune, a speeding Porsche car driven by a 17-year-old boy allegedly under the influence of alcohol crashed into a motorcycle, killing 24-year-old Anish Awadhiya and his friend Ashwini Koshta.
The minor driver was allegedly served alcohol at a restaurant and bar despite being underage. The incident sparked widespread outrage and controversy over the leniency shown to the accused and the influence of political connections. The case against the main accused, a minor, is ongoing before the Juvenile Justice Board. A case was registered by the Pune crime branch unit after the accident against the parents of the accused minor and doctors of Sassoon Hospital, including two others. They were booked for allegedly conspiring to tamper with evidence and manipulating the blood sample.
On September 26, Pune Police submitted a supplementary report before the JJB and added charges of destruction of evidence against the juvenile accused. Earlier the police had charged the juvenile accused with Culpable Homicide not amounting to murder.