Fadnavis criticized the Juvenile Justice Board for being too forgiving in a serious crime involving a car crash in Pune.

In a surprising turn of events, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed his shock and disbelief at the Juvenile Justice Board's decision to take a lenient stance in the recent Pune car crash. The incident involved a minor boy who was driving a luxury vehicle and fatally knocked down two IT professionals who were riding a motorbike. Fadnavis, who is also responsible for the home portfolio, made an impromptu visit to the Pune Police commissionerate to review the case amidst the growing public outcry.

After meeting with police commissioner Amitesh Kumar and other officials, Fadnavis addressed the media and revealed that the police have approached a higher court to seek permission to try the juvenile as an adult. The 17-year-old boy was granted bail by the Juvenile Justice Board shortly after the accident, which occurred in the early hours of Sunday. The board also instructed him to visit the Regional Transport Office and study traffic rules before submitting a presentation to the board within 15 days.

"The JJ board order has mandated that the accused teenager write an essay of 300 words on the topic of road accidents and their solutions," Fadnavis shared, clearly taken aback by the board's decision. He went on to explain that the police had initially requested for the boy to be treated as an adult, given his age of 17 years and eight months. However, the board dismissed their application and granted him bail, causing public outrage.

In light of this, the higher court has asked the police to revisit the JJ board and request a review of their ruling. "The police have already filed a review petition with the JJ board. If the order is not reconsidered, then we will approach the higher court," Fadnavis stated.

According to the police, the accused juvenile and his friends had visited two hotels on the night of the incident between 9:30 PM and 1 AM, where they allegedly consumed alcohol. CCTV footage from one of the hotels clearly shows the boy drinking, as confirmed by police commissioner Kumar. The two IT professionals who lost their lives in the crash have been identified as Anis Awadhiya and Ashwini Costa, both from Madhya Pradesh.

PTI

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