Pune: Teen Driver Booked for Drunk Driving After SUV Rampage in Baner
Baner, 7th December 2024: A 19-year-old man, identified as Hritik Bansode, faces charges of attempted culpable homicide and drunk driving after his MG Gloster SUV caused a series of collisions from Nanaware Chowk, Baner to Shivshakti Chowk on the Sus Road in Pashan area between 3.30 pm and 4 pm on Thursday. The incident resulted in damage to five vehicles and minor injuries to two individuals.
Senior Police Inspector Mahesh Bolkotgi of the Baner Police Station confirmed the registration of an FIR following a medical report from Sassoon General Hospital, which indicated that Bansode was driving under the influence of alcohol. “We arrested Bansode under Section 110 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for attempted culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and Section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act for drunk driving,” said Bolkotgi.
Bansode was presented before Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Amol Shinde on Friday. During the hearing, Assistant Public Prosecutor Vishal Muralikar argued for custodial interrogation, stating, “It is crucial to determine the sequence of events, question the SUV’s owner, and verify relevant documents.” The court granted Bansode’s custodial remand until December 7.
According to Bolkotgi, the SUV belonged to a businessman who had employed Bansode as a caregiver for his 87-year-old father in Baner. Bansode was also provided accommodation at the businessman’s residence.
Police Sub-Inspector Avinash Karad, who is leading the investigation, revealed that the sequence of events began when Bansode consumed alcohol at his residence and took the SUV out to purchase milk from a nearby market. “He first collided with a school bus, hitting its rear. As a crowd began gathering, some bystanders pelted stones at the vehicle. In an attempt to flee, Bansode reversed the SUV, drove on the wrong side of the road for nearly a kilometer, and crashed into another car,” said Karad.
The SUV continued to wreak havoc, hitting two stationary cars parked outside a garage near Shiv Shakti Chowk before crashing into a compact SUV, striking a median, and overturning.
The occupants of the compact SUV, businessman Pushkar Patil (40) and his 10-year-old daughter, sustained minor injuries. Patil was not available for comment.
Bansode was immediately taken into custody and referred to Sassoon General Hospital for medical evaluation. The SUV involved in the incident and the compact SUV were impounded for inspection by the Regional Transport Office (RTO).
