Pune Techie Dies in Pashan Road Crash: Why Police Have Not Arrested 19-Year-Old Driver

Reported by Mubarak Ansari

Pashan, 13th September 2026: The 19-year-old driver accused in the death of 48-year-old software engineer Virendra Raghavendra Prasad Dwivedi on the NDA-Pashan Road has not been arrested, with Pune Police issuing him a notice under Section 35 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and allowing him to leave.

Dwivedi, who worked with an IT firm in Hinjawadi, died on Saturday morning after being hit by an Innova Hycross Hybrid ZX 7-seater near Necklace Garden (DRDO Estate) on the Pashan-Bavdhan Road.

Speaking to Punekar News on Sunday, DCP (Zone 4) Rajnikant Chilumula said police have recorded the statements of the accused driver, Ishan Vishal Sethia (19), and his father.

“The statements of the accused and his father have been recorded. They have stated that they are not at fault and have asked us to investigate the matter. Since the offence registered in the case is punishable with less than seven years of imprisonment, the accused has not been arrested at this stage. He was issued a notice under Section 35 of the BNSS and has been asked to appear before the investigating officer whenever required,” DCP Chilumula said.

Blood Alcohol Test Negative

Police have also received the result of the driver’s blood sample collected for an alcohol test.

According to DCP Chilumula, the test result was negative for alcohol.

The police officer said the investigation is still underway and that other evidence, including dashcam footage, is awaited.

Police Await Dashcam Footage

Police have reviewed CCTV footage from the area and have also recorded the statement of an eyewitness, a security guard working at an establishment near the accident spot.

“The accused was identified based on the CCTV footage and the statement of an eyewitness. We are yet to receive the dashcam footage. The investigation will establish the exact sequence of events,” DCP Chilumula said.

According to the security guard’s statement, Dwivedi was attempting to cross the road when the accident occurred.

Police are investigating the circumstances leading up to the collision, including the movement of the vehicle and the actions of the victim and driver immediately before the crash.

Driver Allegedly Told Bystanders He Had Dozed Off

Police said the security guard also reported that after the accident, the driver told bystanders that he had dozed off for a moment when the collision occurred.

The statement is part of the ongoing investigation, and police are examining it along with CCTV footage, eyewitness accounts and other available evidence.

Vehicle Provided by Developer

The Innova Hycross involved in the accident is registered in the name of Bluerays Developers LLP, with its registered address at ABIL House, Range Hills Corner, Pune.

Police said the accused’s father works with the company that had provided the vehicle.

According to DCP Chilumula, Sethia is a first-year BBA student at a college in the Bavdhan area. He had been using the MPV to take his belongings home during the college holidays.

Police are examining the circumstances under which the vehicle was provided to him and the role, if any, of other persons connected with the vehicle.

What Happened on Saturday?

The accident occurred at around 7 am on September 12 near the Hanuman temple on the Pashan-Bavdhan Road.

Dwivedi, a resident of Gulmohar Plaza in Vivekanand Society, Pashan, was out for his morning exercise when the MPV hit him.

He suffered serious injuries and was taken to hospital in the same vehicle involved in the accident. He later succumbed to his injuries.

The driver, Ishan Vishal Sethia, was also injured in the crash and was taken to hospital.

A case has been registered at Chaturshringi Police Station under Sections 106(1) (punishes anyone who causes a person’s death by a rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide with imprisonment for up to five years and a fine) and 281 (punishment for rash or negligent driving on a public way is imprisonment of up to six months, a fine of up to one thousand rupees, or both) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and relevant provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act.

Police have seized the Innova Hycross Hybrid ZX 7-seater, registration number MH12YS0622, which is registered in the name of Bluerays Developers LLP.

Police said the investigation is continuing and further action will depend on the evidence collected during the probe.