New Delhi: Indian justice officials have reversed their stance in response to the indignation generated by the bail conditions imposed on a teenager who is accused of killing two individuals while operating a Porsche at high speeds while under the influence of alcohol and without a license. The 17-year-old son of a wealthy businessman was ordered to compose a 300-word essay and work with the local traffic police for 15 days in order to be granted bail. This decision was made within 15 hours of his arrest.
On Sunday, in the western Indian city of Pune, he was accused of murdering two young individuals while driving his luxury vehicle at high speeds.
Many individuals, including officials, throughout India were taken aback by the initially lenient parole conditions that the local Juvenile Justice Board imposed. The local police asked the board to cancel his bail and treat the boy, who is four months shy of 18 years old, as an adult due to his alleged heinous crime.
In 2015, India amended its laws to permit juveniles between the ages of 16 and 18 to be tried as adults if they are accused of crimes that are considered heinous. The change was precipitated by the infamous 2012 Delhi rape case, in which one of the convicts was a juvenile. Many activists contended that he should not be treated as a minor if he was mature enough to commit a brutal rape.
After three days of protest over the initial decision, the Juvenile Justice Board revoked the teen’s bond on Wednesday night and remanded him to a juvenile detention center until June 5. It stated that a decision regarding his eligibility to be tried as an adult, which would result in a more severe prospective sentence, would be made following a more thorough investigation.
Police allege that the teenager, who had been drinking with friends at two local bars in Pune, departed in his Porsche Taycan late on Sunday night. He is accused of speeding through narrow roads and colliding with a motorcycle, which sent the two victims—a male and a female 24-year-old software engineer—flying into the air and resulting in their deaths.
The parents of both victims have urged the authorities to ensure that the adolescent is subjected to severe punishment.
The initial allegation against the suspect was negligently causing death; however, this was later amended to culpable homicide, which did not constitute murder. Additionally, he was accused of drunk driving offenses on Wednesday.
The father of the suspect has been apprehended by the police, who have accused him of permitting his son to operate a vehicle while under the age of 18, according to Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar. In India, the minimum age for driving is 18. The premises of the two bars where the minor was served alcohol have been seized, and the proprietors have been arrested.
Kumar stated, “We have implemented the most rigorous strategy conceivable and will take all necessary measures to guarantee that the two young lives that were lost are compensated and that the perpetrator is appropriately punished.”
Devendra Fadnavis, the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra State, had characterized the initial decision of the Juvenile Justice Board as “shocking” and “lenient,” and he characterized the public indignation as a reasonable response.
In 2022, over 168,000 lives were lost in India due to road accidents. According to data from the Indian government, over 1,500 of those individuals perished in accidents that were caused by inebriated driving.
For a first offense, a person who is convicted of inebriated driving may be subject to a maximum penalty of six months in prison and a fine of approximately $120 under Indian law. However, if the drunk driving results in the demise of another individual, the offender may be sentenced to two to seven years in prison.