Pune Porsche accident: Cops to move SC against teen’s release from detention

PUNE: The state home department on Saturday permitted Pune police to approach the Supreme Court challenging the Bombay high court's order of June 25 that directed the release of the 17-year-old involved in the May 19 Porsche Taycan car crash, from an observation home.
Additional commissioner of police (crime) Shailesh Balkawade told TOI, "We had on June 26 submitted an application to the state govt stating that the high court order needed to be challenged on certain grounds.The government on Saturday gave its approval to file a special leave petition (SLP) and we will soon file such a plea in the apex court."
A senior police officer, who did not wish to be named, said they would file the SLP focusing on some key points.
"Initially, the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) released the teenager after the accident on May 19 but later it reversed its release ordes. Secondly, JJB did not violate any rule mentioned in the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act. Thirdly, the teenager's family is not capable of taking his care under the prevailing circumstances and the minor's custody cannot be given to the family members."
Finally, the officer said, "The teenager's aunt had filed a habeas corpus petition in the high court and it cannot stand as the family members and others are fully aware that the boy was in the observation home at Yerawada."
On June 25, the high court, while ordering the teenage driver's release from the observation home, said that the JJB orders reversing the bail and sending the teenager to an observation home and further extending his remand there were illegal and passed without jurisdiction.
The teenager was driving a Porsche Taycan, allegedly in an inebriated state, when the car hit a motorcycle around 2.30am on May 19 at Kalyaninagar. In the accident, two motorcycle-borne software engineers, hailing from Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh, died.
The HC said, "Amid the immediate reaction to the accident, the knee-jerk reaction, and the public outcry, the CCL's age was not considered."
Lawyer Prashant Patil, who is representing the teenager, told TOI, "Once the police file the SLP, the Supreme Court will issue a notice to my client. We will study the points mentioned by Pune police and will then present our side in the court."