Maharashtra government issues show cause notice to Juvenile Board members over Pune crash

The Maharashtra government has taken action against two non-judicial members of the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) following a probe into their decision to grant bail to a 17-year-old boy accused in a fatal Pune crash involving a Porsche on May 19.

The show cause notice, issued by Maharashtra's Women and Child Development Commissioner Prashant Narnaware, targets the two JJB members for their role in granting bail to the accused, despite serious procedural lapses highlighted by an investigating committee.

The committee's findings revealed significant irregularities, including the granting of bail without proper consideration of critical aspects such as the accused's blood report, which was not submitted by the Pune Police. It emphasized that the decision to grant bail appeared rushed and lacked necessary scrutiny.

Additionally, the committee noted that one of the JJB members, LN Dhanawade, conducted proceedings without a proper work roster, scheduling the hearing based on personal availability. Moreover, the bail order was passed in the absence of other board members, a violation of the Juvenile Justice Act's provisions.

Critically, the committee pointed out that despite evident loopholes in the case, the bail order was not overturned promptly by a senior bench of the JJB, which could have reconsidered the decision.

The incident in question involved the fatal collision that led to the deaths of two IT professionals. Following the incident, the teenage accused was initially detained but subsequently granted bail by the JJB. The board's directive for the boy to write a 300-word essay on road accidents further ignited public criticism.