High Court to Review Legal Grounds of ‘Essay for Bail’ in Pune Porsche Case as JJB Members Fight Dismissal

Mumbai/Pune, 25th April 2025: The Bombay High Court has sought a reply from the Maharashtra government over petitions filed by two former members of the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) who were dismissed following controversy surrounding the bail granted to a minor in the high-profile Pune Porsche crash case.

The dismissed members, L N Danavade and Kavita Thorat, had moved the High Court challenging the legality of their removal. They argued that their termination was arbitrary and in violation of due process under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act.

A division bench comprising Justices A S Chandurkar and M M Sathaye issued a notice to the state’s Women and Child Development (WCD) Department on April 23 and scheduled the matter for further hearing on June 18.

The state government had removed Danavade and Thorat from their posts in October 2024 after a departmental probe found irregularities in the way bail was granted to the 17-year-old boy accused of driving a Porsche under the influence of alcohol, resulting in the deaths of two software engineers in Pune’s Kalyani Nagar area on May 19, 2024.

According to the petition, Thorat received a show-cause notice in June 2024 and responded accordingly. She claims, however, that she was not given access to the inquiry report that led to her termination. The petition argues that the denial of the report violates principles of natural justice and renders the decision invalid.

Danavade had granted bail to the juvenile shortly after the incident, drawing widespread criticism over the leniency of the order. The conditions included the writing of a 300-word essay on road safety—an action many viewed as grossly inadequate given the gravity of the alleged offense. Amid public backlash, Pune Police had urged the board to revisit the decision, leading to the minor being sent to an observation home. The Bombay High Court later ordered the juvenile’s release in June 2024.

While the teenager has since been released, investigations into the alleged tampering of his medical reports have led to the arrest of 10 individuals. Those currently in judicial custody include his parents, Vishal and Shivani Agarwal; Sassoon Hospital doctors Dr. Ajay Tawre and Dr. Shreehari Halnor; hospital staffer Atul Ghatkamble; and five others, including alleged intermediaries and facilitators — Aditya Avinash Sood, Ashish Mittal, and Arun Kumar Singh.