Congress workers, including the party's Pune Lok Sabha candidate Ravindra Dhangekar, staged a protest at the Yerwada Police Station on Monday following the tragic incident where a Porsche driven by a 17-year-old collided with a motorcycle, resulting in the deaths of two individuals in Kalyani Nagar. The Congress workers alleged that the minor, who is from the family of a prominent Pune realtor, was served pizza at the police station after being detained and that his blood sample was not taken even 11 hours after the accident, which occurred around 2:30am on Sunday.
"The pub culture should be stopped. People of this (Kalyani Nagar) area have complained on many occasions. We had also requested the Pune Police Commissioner to not let pubs remain open till 1:30am," said Dhangekar. "Regarding the accident in which the son of a builder killed two people, we demand that the minor be booked under IPC Section 302 (punishment for murder). Besides, he was also drunk while driving the car. The Home Department is completely responsible for this. How did he get bail? He should have been sent to a correctional facility and his father should be put behind bars," he added. The Kasba MLA alleged that a transaction of crores of rupees took place at the Yerawada Police Station yesterday. He also demanded a detailed investigation into who all contacted the police on that day.
Meanwhile, residents of the area have reiterated their complaints about the pub culture. Rachna Aggarwal, a resident of Kalyani Nagar, said, “The pub culture is responsible for this. We had alerted the police commissioner and have been seeking an appointment with the collector, but it all went in vain as no rules were being followed. We are taking up issues of heavy traffic and noise pollution caused by these pubs and bars with the authorities, but despite all that we are facing, the young people create a ruckus at night, causing a lot of trouble for the residents.”
Monika Sharma, another resident, raised the issue of noise pollution and the flouting of laws related to the closing times of these pubs. “For the past two years, we have been raising the issue with different authorities, including the police, PMC, and excise department, regarding noise pollution caused by the pubs and rooftop hotels. Why do the authorities not take action and terminate the licenses of these pubs flouting the norms? We are deeply saddened by the news. Despite the grave issues, such incidents continue to occur. The peace of the residents is at stake with such incidents.”
Jaffar Iqbal, a local who has been living in the area since 1992, said, "Kalyani Nagar is mostly populated by senior citizens who get disturbed at night due to the emergence of the pub culture. In the past five years, pubs have mushroomed in this area. Once it was a residential area, and now it is being completely commercialised. Owners are renting their bungalows and houses, turning them into commercial properties. As citizens, we want to lead a peaceful life in a sound-free zone. We want the deadline for pubs to be reduced to 11pm. Currently, it is extended to 1:30am. No licenses should be issued to open any commercial property in residential areas, and residential properties shouldn't be given for commercial use. Kalyani Nagar was once a green zone, but now if you come at night, most of the clubs adhere to the timings, but people are high, and because these pubs are closed, they come out on the road, start drinking, and create a lot of nuisance. Some pubs don't adhere to the timings, and despite reaching out to the authorities many times, we haven't received a proper response. The incident that happened yesterday reflects how unsafe our environment is."
Speaking to The Free Press Journal, advocate Satya Muley questioned why the accused was given "VIP treatment." "The sections mentioned in the FIR did not contain any cognisable offences which lead to a punishment of more than two to three years. Having said this, when the sections of the offences are of such mild nature, the court has little option but to grant bail because the principle of the criminal justice system is that bail is the rule and jail is the exception," he added. "Police should have framed proper sections and made a good presentation in front of the court. The parents should be held responsible," Muley further said.
