Pune Porsche Crash Case: Supreme Court Grants Bail To Father Of Accused Minor, Cites Prolonged Detention

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted bail to Vishal Agarwal, the father of the minor accused of driving the luxury Porsche car that allegedly killed two young engineers in Pune on May 19, 2024.

A bench comprising Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan allowed Agarwal’s bail plea, noting that he had already spent around 18 months in jail and that the trial in the case had not progressed significantly.

The court observed that prolonged detention could not continue indefinitely when the trial had shown little movement. “Prolonged detention cannot continue. The trial has not progressed significantly,” the bench remarked while granting relief to Agarwal.

The high-profile case had sparked nationwide outrage after a Porsche allegedly driven by a minor rammed into a motorcycle in Pune, killing two tech professionals. In the aftermath of the crash, investigators accused Agarwal of being involved in a criminal conspiracy aimed at shielding his son.

According to the allegations, efforts were made to manipulate key evidence in the case. Authorities claimed that the minor’s blood samples were allegedly swapped at Sassoon Hospital and that a “nil alcohol” report was fabricated. Investigators also alleged that around Rs 5 lakh was arranged to bribe officials to alter medical evidence related to the incident.

Agarwal was also accused of attempting to persuade the family’s driver to take responsibility for the crash instead of the minor.

During the hearing, senior advocate representing the father of one of the victims strongly opposed the bail plea. He argued that the case represented a “subversion of justice” and claimed that a series of phone calls were made by Agarwal immediately after the incident as part of an alleged conspiracy.

Referring to the driver’s statement, the counsel told the court that the driver had claimed he was coerced into taking the blame for the accident.

The lawyer further argued that courts had previously denied bail in cases involving WhatsApp messages, adding that the present case was “50 times more serious.”
He also warned that influential individuals with significant resources should not believe they can manipulate institutions and still obtain bail.

Responding to the arguments, Justice Nagarathna observed that such attempts reflected a broader mindset in society. “All this is reflection of the mindset of the Indian society - that everybody wants to get out and get the better of the law,” she said.

However, the judge also emphasised that the right to liberty must be protected until a person is convicted.

When the victims’ lawyer continued to oppose bail, Justice Nagarathna remarked, “That cannot be at the cost of a man losing his liberty.” The Supreme Court ultimately granted bail to Agarwal while the trial in the Pune Porsche crash case continues.

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