Pune Porsche Crash Victims’ Family Seeks Changes to Juvenile Justice Law

Pune, 3rd September 2026: More than two years after the fatal Porsche crash in Pune that claimed the lives of Aneesh Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta, Awadhiya’s family has urged the Centre and Maharashtra government to reconsider provisions of the Juvenile Justice law in cases involving serious and heinous crimes committed by minors.

The family said the period since the May 2024 incident, in which the two young IT professionals were killed after being knocked down by a Porsche allegedly driven by a minor in the Kalyani Nagar area, had been “extremely painful”. The loss of their son, they said, was impossible to express in words.

At a press interaction in Pune on Thursday, Aneesh’s father Om Awadhiya and mother Savita Awadhiya thanked Pune residents for standing by the family and extending their support and sensitivity during the difficult period. Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress media wing president Akshay Jain and Bhushan Ranhbare were also present.

The family thanked the media for helping take up their demand for justice for Aneesh and for bringing the facts of the case and their position before the public.

“We will always remain grateful for the role played by the media in presenting the facts of the case before the public and conveying our family’s position in the right manner,” the family said.

The family also expressed its gratitude to the Pune Police for their efforts in pursuing the investigation and legal proceedings in the case. It said it expected the investigation to proceed in a fair, transparent manner and within the framework of the law.

Against the backdrop of the crash, the family appealed to both the Centre and the state government to examine the existing provisions of the Juvenile Justice law.

The family argued that individuals involved in serious offences could potentially receive different treatment in the legal process on account of being minors and said the provisions should not be misused.

It has specifically sought changes to the law in cases where a person aged 16 years or above is accused of a serious or heinous offence. The family said the nature and gravity of the offence, the circumstances of the case and the mental maturity of the accused should be considered while deciding whether a more stringent legal process should apply.

“Our intention is not to cause injustice to any innocent minor. However, the age-related provisions of the law should not become a shield for those committing serious crimes,” the family said.

It urged the Centre and Maharashtra government to seriously consider the necessary legal reforms.

The family also clarified that its demand was aimed at preventing misuse of the law in serious criminal cases and not at depriving innocent juveniles of the protection available to them.

Akshay Jain, president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress media wing, was present during the interaction and assisted the family in communicating its concerns and demands to the media.

The Porsche crash in Pune had triggered a wider debate over the treatment of juveniles accused of serious offences, as well as questions surrounding the functioning of the juvenile justice system.