Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday vowed to take strong action against the teenager who crashed his high-end car into a motorbike, resulting in the deaths of two people.
Addressing a press conference, Fadnavis criticised the "lenient" punishment handed down by the Juvenile Justice Board, which required the teen to write a 300-word essay on accidents, work with the traffic police for 15 days, and undergo counselling for his drinking.
He questioned the board's decision, stating, "How can the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Board give such an order," given the severity of the crime?
Meanwhile, the police detained the boy's father, who is a real estate developer, and arrested three executives of two hotels for serving liquor to the juvenile.
Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar told reporters, "The chief minister, the deputy chief minister and home minister (Fadnavis), and the (Pune) guardian minister (Deputy CM Ajit Pawar) have given clear instructions to the police to take stringent action in this case. The state Director General of Police has also instructed for strong action."
Notably, the accused teenager was subsequently produced before the Juvenile Justice Board which granted him bail hours later.