Pune Porsche Crash: Juvenile Justice Board Rejects Police Plea, Teen Accused to Be Tried as Minor

Pune, July 15, 2025 — In a controversial decision, the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) on Tuesday ruled that the 17-year-old accused in the Pune Porsche crash case will be tried as a minor, rejecting the Pune Police’s plea to try him as an adult.

The May 19, 2024 crash in Pune’s Kalyani Nagar claimed the lives of two IT professionals, Anish Awadhiya and Ashwini Costa, after the minor, allegedly under the influence of alcohol, rammed his high-end Porsche into their motorcycle.

Why Was There a Demand for Adult Trial?

Pune Police and the public had demanded an adult trial due to the heinous nature of the crime, the influence of alcohol, and subsequent efforts to tamper with evidence. However, the JJB ruled that the accused did not meet the legal thresholds to be tried as an adult under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act.

Shocking Evidence Tampering Attempts

Blood Sample Swap at Sassoon Hospital

Investigations revealed that the teen's original blood samples taken at Sassoon Hospital were allegedly swapped with his mother’s, in an attempt to cover up intoxication. The incident resulted in the arrest of:

Dr. Ajay Taware, Head of the Forensic Department

Shreehari Halnor, Medical Officer

Atul Ghatkamble, Hospital Staffer

Second Attempt at Aundh Hospital Foiled

The prosecution, while submitting documents under Section 173(8) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), revealed a second attempted cover-up. Anticipating tampering, police collected another sample at Aundh Government Hospital. However, attempts by the juvenile’s parents and middlemen to swap samples there were thwarted by hospital staff, who refused to cooperate.

Accused and Associates Behind Bars

Several individuals are currently in judicial custody for their alleged roles in tampering with evidence:

The juvenile’s father

Middlemen: Ashpak Makandar and Amar Gaikwad

Alleged accomplices: Aditya Avinash Sood, Ashish Mittal, and Arun Kumar Singh

The court is still hearing arguments on the framing of charges, and further investigation is underway under Section 173(8) of the CrPC, which permits additional inquiries even after a chargesheet is filed.