Porsche crash: Grandfather of minor accused arrested for threatening family driver

Pune (Maharashtra), May 25 (IANS) The Pune Police have arrested Surendra Kumar Agarwal, the grandfather of the minor accused in the Porsche car crash that killed two persons in the early hours of May 19, an official said here on Saturday.

Agarwal is accused of allegedly threatening and confining the family driver, Gangaram Poojari and forcing him to take the blame for the Porsche car accident on his head in return for monetary consideration.

With this, three generations of the Agarwal family are in hot soup under various charges in the same case -- the Porsche car crash that instantly killed two techies from Madhya Pradesh -- Ashwini Koshtha and her friend Aneesh Awadhiya -- sparking a nationwide uproar.

Agarwal, who was nabbed after interrogation around 3 a.m. on Saturday, is likely to be produced before the Pune court later in the day for remand.

His son and prominent Pune realty developer Vishal S. Agarwal was arrested and sent to police custody which ended on May 24 and was remanded to a two-week judicial remand.

His grandson and prime accused minor boy is under detention at a juvenile correctional home till June 5 after he rammed his speeding Porsche car into the Koshtha-Awadhiya duo returning home on their motorcycle.

Hundreds of citizens will take part in a silent candlelight vigil near Kalyani Nagar as a homage to the two departed souls.

“This vigil is a citizen initiative aimed at protesting the administration's inaction to curb rampant violations arising from late-night activities in residential areas. It also serves as a show of solidarity and support for the bereaved families of the victims,” said Team Swachh Kalyani Nagar (TSKN) representatives Jaffar Iqbal and Drayson Dixon.

Friday evening, the Pune Police suspended two policemen of the Yerawada Police Station for alleged dereliction of duty and other lapses pertaining to the accident, as public anger continued to simmer.

The two officials are: Police Inspector Rahul Jagdale and Assistant Police Inspector Vishwanath Todkar, both were on duty at the hour. The accident site of Kalyani Nagar falls within the jurisdiction of the Yerawada Police Station.