THE deputy chief minister of the western Indian state of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, has expressed disappointment over the "lenient" punishment given to a minor boy who rammed his luxury car into a motorcycle, killing two persons, in the city of Pune on Sunday (19).
Fadnavis, who is also the state's home minister, has vowed strong action against the accused, aged 17, who was granted bail in 15 hours by the board and asked to write a 300-word essay on accidents, work with the traffic police for 15 days and undergo counselling for his drinking. The teenager reportedly consumed alcohol at a bar before driving his car at a high speed. Vishal Agarwal, the minor's father and a known real-estate developer, was arrested, along with some executives of the bar for serving alcohol to the accused despite him being an underage.
"How can the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Board give such an order," Fadnavis, who belongs to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of prime minister Narendra Modi, asked.
Read: Father of teen, whose Porsche killed two bikers in Pune, arrested
The fatal incident happened when the minor's car -- a grey Porsche -- knocked down two information technology professionals who were returning from a dinner party on a motorcycle, in Kalyani Nagar area of the city. Witnesses said the impact of the crash saw one of the riders of the two-wheeler, a woman, getting thrown about 20 feet in the air. The other, a man, was flung into a parked vehicle.
Passers-by were seen rushing to the spot and beating up the occupants of the car.
Fadnavis also detailed steps that the government of the state has taken to avoid similar incidents.
"Administration has been alerted to take closure action against those pubs where violations are found and drink driving checks by police on important places," he said.
The fact that the teen received a bail led to a massive public outrage. The families of the victims demanded stricter punishment for him alleging that it was not an accident but murder.
The accused minor's father was arrested in Aurangabad, located about 236 kilometres from Pune, under sections 75 (willful neglect of a child, or exposing a child to mental or physical illnesses) and 77 of the Juvenile Justice Act (supplying a child with intoxicating liquor or drugs).
This photograph taken on April 28, 2026 shows a boy getting "thali", a sacred thread tied to his neck symbolising marriage to Hindu warrior god Aravan during the annual Koovagam transgender festival at the Koothandavar temple in Tamil Nadu's Kallakurichi district. For a few fleeting days each year, at the heart of the Koothandavar Temple where ostracised transgender community members from across India come to honour the Hindu deity Aravan, a tradition rooted in millennia-old Hindu texts -- and to enjoy a brief oasis of freedom.Getty Images
This photograph taken on April 29, 2026 shows a member of the transgender community mourning as a priest cuts the "thali", a sacred thread symbolising end of her marriage to Hindu warrior god Aravan during the annual Koovagam transgender festival at the Koothandavar temple in Tamil Nadu's Kallakurichi district. For a few fleeting days each year, at the heart of the Koothandavar Temple where ostracised transgender community members from across India come to honour the Hindu deity Aravan, a tradition rooted in millennia-old Hindu texts -- and to enjoy a brief oasis of freedom. Getty Images