Porsche accident in Pune: JJB member LN Danwade, who let the accused go after writing an essay, avoids questions from the media

As the investigation into the Porsche accident in Pune continues, Dr LN Danwade, a member of the juvenile court who granted bail to the 17-year-old, evaded reporters’ questions. In a video that went viral on social media, Danwade, who granted bail to the accused after making him write an essay, was seen running away without answering questions from a group of reporters who surrounded him. While a reporter followed Danwade’s two-wheeler in his car and continued to ask questions, the juvenile court member refused to speak.

Danwade has come under fire for releasing the 17-year-old, who crushed two IT professionals on motorcycles to death with his Porsche, without strict punishment. The committee had asked the 17-year-old to work for 15 days at the Yerawada traffic police station, write an essay on the accident, seek medical treatment to stop drinking and undergo psychiatric counselling. The accused’s lawyer had said his bail was subject to conditions aimed at rehabilitation and awareness-raising.

According to police, the minor was arrested after a case was registered against him following the accident. He was produced before a juvenile court, which granted him bail. While details of the bail hearing were not made public, police said the court found the crime “not serious” enough to deny bail. According to the court order, which was issued within 14 hours of the minor’s arrest, several conditions were set for his release.

New details in the case

Meanwhile, new details about the case continue to emerge, making it more opaque with each passing day. The case has exposed corruption and criminality at various levels in the city of Pune.

Earlier this week, Pune police arrested Surendra Kumar Agarwal, the grandfather of the 17-year-old Pune Porsche driver. Agarwal was charged with helping his son Vishal Agarwal, a construction worker, escape and “kidnapping” him and pressuring the driver to take the blame for the accident. Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar had earlier stated that efforts were being made to blame the driver instead of the teenager.

The 17-year-old boy’s grandfather is alleged to have made payments to gangster Chhota Rajan in a shooting case, police sources told News18. According to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which has charged the boy’s grandfather, he is alleged to have hired Chhota Rajan to execute Shiv Sena councillor Ajay Bhosale in 2009.

Shivani Agrawal, the mother of the 17-year-old accused, is now said to be cut off from the outside world. She came to the fore after a video was widely shared on social media claiming that the accused had uploaded a rap video on the day of his release on bail. Shivani had clarified that the video featuring her son was “fake”.

Some local reports claimed that the teenager’s blood sample, which was to be tested after the accident, was switched with that of his mother Shivani Agrawal. A report in ABP Majha quoted sources as saying that doctors at Sassoon Hospital had mentioned in the inquiry committee’s report that the teenager’s altered blood sample was from a woman. However, sources told News18 that there was no confirmation yet that the sample was from Shivani Agarwal.

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