Grandfather Of Pune Porsche Driver Arrested, Family’s Underworld Connection On Spotlight: Report
The grandfather of the Pune teenager Vendant Agarwal – son of realtor Vishal Agarwal – involved in a fatal drunken Porsche crash and death of two techies has been arrested, police sources revealed to NDTV. The arrest follows allegations from the family’s driver, who claimed he was wrongfully confined, threatened, and coerced into taking the blame for the accident. The grandfather now faces charges under IPC sections for kidnapping and wrongful confinement.
According to Pune Police, immediately after the accident, efforts were made to force the driver to accept responsibility for the crash. The grandfather allegedly locked the driver up and pressured him to take the blame, promising his eventual release. The crime branch, which is investigating the case, reported that the teen”s grandfather and father confiscated the driver’s phone and confined him at their bungalow from May 19 to May 20. The driver was eventually freed by his wife, a crime branch official told NDTV.
The tragic incident involved two 24-year-old engineers, Ashwini Kostha and Anish Awadhiya, who were killed when the Porsche Taycan, driven at 200 km per hour by the 17-year-old, crashed into their bike. The police confirmed that the minor, son of a prominent Pune realtor, was heavily intoxicated during the accident. He was initially granted bail under lenient conditions, including writing a 300-word essay on road accidents, working with traffic police for 15 days, and seeking counseling for his drinking habit. However, following widespread outrage from social media, politicians including senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and general public, the Juvenile Justice Board revised the order, sending him to an observation home until a decision is made on whether to try him as an adult. The boy”s father and staff from two bars he visited that night were also arrested under the Juvenile Justice Act.
Meanwhile, the case has also spotlighted the family’s alleged underworld connections. It dates back to a 2009 incident involving an attack on Shiv Sena corporator Ajay Bhosale. According to a CBI chargesheet, the boy”s grandfather, embroiled in a property dispute with his brother, allegedly sought mediation from gangster Chhota Rajan. When Bhosale, who knew the brother, refused to intervene due to election commitments, the grandfather reportedly asked Rajan to eliminate him. The ensuing attack missed Bhosale but injured his driver. Ajay Bhosale, now with the Eknath Shinde-led Sena, told NDTV that the grandfather ordered the hit, though he wasn”t arrested at the time. The attempted murder case is now among several pending against Chhota Rajan before a Mumbai CBI court.
As the grandfather was taken for questioning, videos have emerged that the reporters in Pune can be heard asking him the questions about Chhota Rajan.
Vedant Agarwal is son of prominent builder Vishal Agarwal of Brahma Realty and Infrastructure.
The accident occurred in Kalyaninagar around 2:30 AM on last Saturday. The incident was reported by their friend, Ekib Ramzan Mulla, who filed a complaint at Yerawada Police Station.
Vedant Agarwal, 17, had just left a pub in the area when he lost control of the car, leading to the fatal crash. The impact was so severe that the victims were flung into the air and landed on another car. Locals quickly rushed to help, and the police were alerted immediately. Videos of the accident have since gone viral on social media. As seen in many viral videos, locals beat up the before handing him over to the police.
