Supreme Court Grants Bail to Father of Minor in Pune Porsche Crash Case

New Delhi/Pune, 10th March 2026: The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted bail to Vishal Agarwal, the father of the minor accused of driving the Porsche car involved in the fatal crash in Pune on May 19, 2024, which claimed the lives of two people. The court noted that Agarwal had been in custody for nearly 22 months and was entitled to bail at this stage of the proceedings.

A bench comprising Justice B. V. Nagarathna and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan allowed the appeal and ordered that Agarwal be released on bail subject to conditions to be imposed by the trial court. The bench said it had considered the submissions made by both sides, the material on record and the fact that bail had already been granted to other accused in related cases.

The court also directed that Agarwal must not contact or attempt to influence any witnesses involved in the case. It added that if this condition is violated, the state would be free to seek cancellation of the bail. The bench further instructed the trial court to expedite the proceedings and conclude the trial as early as possible.

During the hearing, Justice Nagarathna made observations about the broader issue of people attempting to evade the law but questioned whether a person’s liberty should be restricted indefinitely before conviction. She said that while such conduct may reflect societal attitudes, the legal system must still ensure that personal liberty is not curtailed without due process.

The Maharashtra government opposed the bail plea and argued that the principle of parity could not be applied in Agarwal’s case. The state contended that while some co-accused had secured bail, their circumstances were different because the minor driver involved in the accident was Agarwal’s own son.

According to the prosecution, Agarwal allegedly played a key role in a conspiracy after the accident to manipulate evidence. Investigators claim he arranged Rs 5 lakh through his wife to bribe officials and facilitate the swapping of blood samples in order to obtain a “nil alcohol” report for the minor and other occupants of the car.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Agarwal, argued that although the minor was driving the vehicle at the time of the accident, a driver had been provided by the family and was present in the car. He contended that beyond that, the father could not be held responsible for the actions of the minor.

Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, representing the father of one of the victims, opposed the bail plea and argued that the case involved a deliberate attempt to undermine the justice system. He said the incident went beyond a road accident and involved a conspiracy to manipulate evidence after the crash. Referring to witness statements, he told the court that the driver had allegedly been pressured to take responsibility for the incident.

Responding to the arguments, Justice Nagarathna said the prosecution must establish the allegations through the trial process and observed that bail decisions cannot be made merely to send a message to society.
The bail plea challenged a December 16, 2025 order of the Bombay High Court that had rejected Agarwal’s bail application along with those of several co-accused in the case registered at Yerwada Police Station in Pune.

According to investigators, the accident occurred around 2.10 am on May 19, 2024, near Kalyani Nagar on Airport Road in Pune when a Porsche car allegedly driven by the minor rammed a motorcycle from behind. The two riders, Anis Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta, sustained severe injuries and later died.

The initial FIR included charges under Sections 304A, 279, 337, 338 and 427 of the IPC along with provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act. Later, Section 304 of the IPC and other offences were added as the investigation progressed.

Prosecutors have alleged that soon after the crash, a conspiracy was hatched to destroy evidence and secure a favourable medical report. It is claimed that blood samples of the minor and other occupants were replaced with those of Shivani Agarwal, Ashish Mittal and Aditya Sood at Sassoon General Hospital in Pune, and false medical records were created to support the report.

Based on these allegations, police invoked several sections of the IPC including those related to criminal conspiracy, destruction of evidence and forgery, along with provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Motor Vehicles Act.

The Supreme Court had earlier granted bail to three other accused — Ashish Satish Mittal, Aditya Avinash Sood and Amar Santhosh Gaikwad — noting that they had already spent about 18 months in custody. They are accused of helping replace the blood samples of the minor passengers seated in the rear of the car.

In a separate order, the court also granted bail to Dr Ajay Aniruddha Taware of Sassoon Hospital, who has been accused of involvement in the alleged blood sample manipulation.

With the latest order, Vishal Agarwal will be released on bail subject to conditions imposed by the trial court, while the criminal trial in the case continues.