Supreme Court Upholds Denial of Anticipatory Bail to Father in Pune Porsche Accident Case Involving Minor

In a recent decision, the Supreme Court declined anticipatory bail to the father of a minor allegedly involved in the fatal Pune Porsche collision, upholding the Bombay High Court's earlier order.

A division bench of Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah observed that there was prima facie evidence supporting allegations that the father, in collaboration with others, attempted to interfere with the investigation. The accused was alleged to have conspired to switch his son’s blood sample with that of a co-accused to mask alcohol consumption evidence.

The tragic accident took place on May 19, 2024, in Pune’s Kalyani Nagar, when a Porsche, reportedly driven by a minor, collided with a motorcycle, resulting in the deaths of two motorcycle riders. Post-incident, it was alleged that the minor’s father, along with others, engaged in activities to obstruct the investigation and conceal critical evidence.

The prosecution contended that the father had bribed doctors at Sassoon Hospital, directing them to replace his son’s blood sample with that of a co-accused. These actions, it was argued, amounted to a conspiracy under Section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.

The Bombay High Court had previously noted the serious nature of the allegations, finding sufficient grounds to deny anticipatory bail. The Supreme Court concurred, pointing out that granting bail at this stage could jeopardise the investigation, with the potential risk of the father absconding.

Case Title: Arunkumar Devnath Singh v. State of Maharashtra, SLP (Crl) No. 15128/2024

Advocate for Petitioner: Senior Advocates Siddharth Luthra and Vibha Datta Makhija