Mumbai: Pune Police on Tuesday arrested the father of a 17-year-old boy who was involved in a fatal car accident that resulted in the deaths of two techies. The teen's father, Vishal Agarwal, was arrested from Sambhajinagar area of Maharashtra's Aurangabad based on a case registered against him on Monday. Meanwhile, Pune Police's crime branch has also arrested the manager and owners of the pub – Prahlad Bhutada, Sachin Katkar and Sandeep Sangle from Koregaon Park area of the city. A case was registered against this accused in Pune Police for serving alcohol to a minor.

Police had registered a case against the teenager's father, a real estate developer, under sections 75 and 77 of the Juvenile Justice Act, and against the owners and staff members of the bar establishment for serving alcohol to an underage person. The probe in these cases has been transferred to the crime branch, an official earlier said.

Section 75 deals with "willful neglect of a child, or exposing a child to mental or physical illnesses," while section 77 deals with supplying a child with intoxicating liquor or drugs.

According to the FIR lodged in connection with the incident, the man, despite knowing his son did not have a valid driving license, gave him the car, thus endangering the latter's life, and allowed him to party even as the father knew that he consumes liquor.

Maharashtra CM directs for strict action

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis have instructed for stringent action in the case. Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar said, "The chief minister, the deputy chief minister and home minister (Fadnavis), and the (Pune) guardian minister (Deputy CM Ajit Pawar) have given clear instructions to the police to take stringent action in this case. The state Director General of Police has also instructed for strong action."

He addressed public's concerns that the police were not taking adequate action in the case. Kumar affirmed that both the government and police were committed to take stringent measures against those responsible for the incident.

On the allegations of "preferential treatment" being given to the juvenile while in custody after the incident, Kumar said stringent action will be taken against the police personnel if they are found to be aiding the teenager directly or indirectly.

Accused Granted Bail Within Hours

The juvenile accused who was arrested was granted bail by the Juvenile Justice Board within 15 hours of the incident, imposing several conditions, which include, the accused should work with the traffic police of Yerawada for 15 days, accused should write an essay on accident, should get treatment from the concerned doctor to help him quit drinking and should take psychiatric counselling and submit the report.

The teen who was allegedly driving the car was produced before the Juvenile Justice Board which granted him bail. It also directed him to visit the Regional Transport Office and study all the rules and regulations, and submit a presentation to the Board within 15 days. "The CCL (Child in Conflict with Law) will write an essay of 300 words on the topic of road accidents and their solutions," the order read.

The board also directed the youth to assist RTO officers for 15 days and submit a report. He should be referred to an alcohol de-addiction centre for counselling, it said.

The fatal accident took place on early Sunday morning. The Juvenile Justice Board's decision to grant the youngster bail on the same day while asking him to write an essay on road accidents has drawn criticism. 

However, Pune Police said they will seek a higher court's permission to try as an adult a 17-year-old boy whose car allegedly knocked down and killed two persons in Kalyani Nagar area.

"On Sunday itself we had moved an application before the court (board) seeking permission to try the juvenile as an adult and send him to an observation home as the crime is heinous, but the plea was rejected. We are now approaching the sessions court with the same plea," said Pune police commissioner Amitesh Kumar.

His blood report was yet to be received but preliminary probe showed that the juvenile was drunk at the time of the accident, he said.

The youngster, son of a real estate developer, was drunk at the time of the accident, police claimed on Monday. A case has been registered against him under section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder ) of the Indian Penal Code and sections of the Motor Vehicles Act.

A group of friends were returning on motorbikes around 3.15 am on Sunday after a party when a speeding luxury car hit one of the motorcycles at Kalyani Nagar junction. The two riders -- Anis Awadhiya and Ashwini Costa -- died of their injuries.

"The CCTV footage of the bar clearly shows that the juvenile was consuming alcohol. There is no doubt that the juvenile was driving the car after consuming alcohol. We will be submitting all these facts to the court," commissioner Kumar said.

Stating that the police will take appropriate action irrespective of which "economic strata" the accused belongs to, CP Kumar affirmed that they are handling the case with “full transparency.”

The juvenile's father and the bar that served him liquor face charges under Sections 75 and 77 of the Juvenile Justice Act, said the city police in Pune.