Porsche crash: Pune builder Vishal Agarwal gets 14-day judicial remand

Pune, May 24 (IANS) Pune builder Vishal S. Agarwal -- who was arrested in connection with the Porsche car crash driven by his minor son -- was remanded to a 14-days judicial custody, here on Friday, an official said.

Agarwal was presented before a magistrate court after his two-day police remand ended today, and the police sought an additional seven days' custody to question him on various aspects of the case.

Advocate Asim Sarode, representing some public interest groups said that this would pave the way for Agarwal to apply for bail.

A defence lawyer said that a bail application for Agarwal on Monday would be moved before a higher court.

The Pune Police are likely to add more sections to Agarwal’s case pertaining to attempts to destroy evidence after he allegedly asked his driver to take the blame for his son’s crime on his head.

The police also plan to book him for providing false information that the Porsche car, purchased from Bengaluru over two months ago, was plying on the roads without a registration number.

Besides, another six persons arrested in the same case so far have also been produced for hearing before the court and the decision is expected later while the builder's minor son has already been shunted to Nehru Udyog Kendra Observation Home till June 5.

In the ongoing probe, the Pune Police have retraced the route taken by the vehicle after it zoomed off from the Cosie Restaurant and Blak hotel and scanned the CCTV footage en route till the point it crashed into motorcycle and killed two techies from Madhya Pradesh – Ashwini Koshta and her friend Aneesh Awadhiya – instantly, sparking a nationwide uproar.

A forensic team has carried out a detailed investigation of the car -- currently under the custody of the Yerawada Police Station -- and its report is expected soon.

Meanwhile, the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (SP), CPI and other organisations staged angry protests demanding action against bars and pubs in the city which flout rules and regulations.

In the past three days, the authorities have initiated against more than 40 bars and pubs that violate various norms, including serving liquor to minors without checking their I-cards, flouting closure timings, and other things.