Pune Porsche case: Court calls minor's remand 'illegal', he walks out of juvenile home

The Bombay High Court has declared the remand of a minor accused in the Pune Porsche accident case as illegal and subsequently ordered his release from a juvenile home. The minor walked out of the observation home later in the day, following the court's decision.

Initially, the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) had granted bail to the minor on the condition of parental supervision and an essay requirement on road safety. However, amid public outcry, the Pune police filed an application seeking to amend the bail conditions. On May 22, the board revoked his bail and remanded him to the observation home.

Justices Bharti Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande, presiding over the case, emphasized that despite the tragic accident, the minor could not be indefinitely held in an observation home. They criticized the JJB's remand orders, stating they were passed without proper jurisdiction.

The decision to release the minor came in response to a plea filed by his paternal aunt challenging the legality of his remand. Advocates Aabad Ponda and Prashant Patil, representing the aunt, argued that the police's subsequent application to send the minor back to the observation home was unjustified, as it contravened the conditions of a valid bail order.

Acknowledging the trauma faced by the minor accused, the Bombay High Court stressed the importance of providing him with appropriate care and support. The court noted that the minor's parents and grandfather were detained in connection with various charges related to the accident, including allegations of evidence tampering and coercion.

While the minor's father, Vishal Agarwal, was granted bail on June 22 in a case concerning the misuse of a vehicle by an unlicensed minor, he remains in custody due to ongoing legal proceedings stemming from the incident.