Where Is The Equality in Law? Pune Porsche Case Victim’s Father Questions JJB's Decision To Try Main Accused As Minor

New Delhi: Suresh Kumar Koshta, father of one of the victims, Ashwini, in the Pune Porsche crash incident, expressed deep shock upon learning that the accused will now be tried as a minor. He stated that this decision is even more shocking than the initial punishment—a 300-word essay—which the accused was asked to write before being granted bail, prior to the authorities acting under public pressure. “I feel like crying more over the law than over my daughter's loss,” he said.

Koshta further lamented the lack of justice, calling the judgement extremely disappointing. He added that such a decision would shake people’s faith in the legal system, questioning, “Who is the JJB punishing?"

“I would now call it murder because they knew exactly what could happen if an intoxicated person drove a car. The JJB should really think about this. My daughter was hit so hard, she was tossed 15 feet into the air. I don’t think she even had time to scream in pain… yet they want to treat the accused as a juvenile instead of an adult,” he said.

Who is the JJB punishing, asks Ashwini's father 

Calling the incident a case of murder, Suresh Kumar Koshta, father of one of the victims, Ashwini, questioned the Juvenile Justice Board’s (JJB) decision to treat the accused as a minor. "Who is the JJB punishing in this case?" he asked.

“Two lives were lost. Now I will directly call it murder, because the accused should have known. He knew exactly what could happen after consuming a large amount of alcohol and driving at high speed. The JJB members should have considered this. I urge them to look at the footage that was shown earlier,” Koshta said.

He continued, “And to those commenting, just think. He hit my daughter at a speed of 160 km/h, she was thrown 15 feet into the air. I don’t think she even had time to scream. Just think about that.”

Criticising the Board's stance, Koshta added, “They don’t consider such a person an adult, they call him a child. Can a child commit such a massive act? If he truly were a child, the impact would’ve been less severe, perhaps just a minor crash or a fracture. But this was far from that.”

Expressing his anguish further, he said, “Even after such a grave mistake, what’s left to be said about the JJB’s decision? Who is actually being punished? And they’re granting bail to serious offenders like this? I’ve heard claims that the accused is mentally distressed, who’s really distressed? Me, or the accused? What kind of mental abuse is this? He’s being served pizza and burgers.”

Not visible if law is equal, Pune Porsche case victim's father, says Suresh Kumar

Shocked to learn that the accused in the case will be tried as a minor, even after the police appealed in court to try him as an adult, Suresh Kumar said, “It’s often said that the law is equal for everyone. But where is that equality? It should be visible, and it isn’t. As far as I know, even foreign countries have Juvenile Justice laws. But what are the facts here? What actually happened? That’s what should determine the punishment."

"Here, they say the law favours one side simply because the accused is under 18. And so, he is forgiven. Murder is forgiven… killing is forgiven… everything is forgiven,” Suresh Kumar said.