The legal age for drinking alcohol is under scrutiny again in Maharashtra due to a recent accident in Pune, where an allegedly drunk minor in a speeding Porsche killed two techies riding a two-wheeler on Sunday.
The minor is the son of city-based builder Vishal Agarwal. The boy's father, Vishal Agarwal (50), has already been arrested under the Juvenile Justice Act and remanded in police custody for handing over his car to his underage son, thus exposing him to danger. His bail order was revoked after a huge public outcry, and the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) on Wednesday remanded the boy to the observation home until June 5.
After the accident, it was revealed that the 17-year-old boy, who killed two people with his Porsche in the Kalyani Nagar area early on Sunday, spent ₹48,000 on food and drinks on the night of the accident. Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Excise Department on Tuesday sealed two outlets, Cosie restaurant and Hotel Blak Club, where the minor boy involved in the fatal car crash was served liquor.
Legal age is...
The case has raised questions among several Punekars and residents of Pimpri Chinchwad about the legal age for drinking in the city.
As per the Juvenile Justice Act, selling alcohol to minors is a punishable offense with up to seven years of imprisonment.
In Maharashtra, the legal age for drinking hard liquor is 25. Therefore, you need to be at least 25 years old to consume hard liquor (strong beer, whiskey, vodka, rum, and any other liquors with higher levels of alcohol). However, you can drink mild beer (with an alcohol percentage of up to 5 percent) after turning 21 without a permit. Additionally, in India, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is prohibited under Section 185 of the Motor Vehicle Act 1988.
