Pune Porsche crash case: State sacks two JJB members who granted bail to minor accused

The Maharashtra government has sacked two state-appointed members of Juvenile Justice Board (JJB), Pune on the charge of “misuse of power”, state commissioner for women and child development (WCD) said on Thursday.

The action follows after the JJB members LN Danwade and Kavita Thorat faced a probe over the bail granted to the 17-year-old juvenile accused driver in the May 19 Porsche car crash with a condition of writing a 300-word essay on road safety, among other controversial bail conditions.

The WCD office of deputy secretary AN Bhondave issued a notification on Tuesday for mentioning of sacking both members.

The notification stated that after holding an inquiry by the state government, the two members had been found guilty of procedural lapses, misconduct, and non-compliance with norms, besides misusing their powers vested under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children Act, 2015) and so the government had terminated their appointment.

WCD department commissioner Prashant Narnavare said, “The report, recommending the termination, was sent to the state government in July.”

A speeding Porsche driven by the 17-year-old accused had crashed into a motorcycle, killing two persons at Kalyaninagar on May 19, this year. The minor driver was allegedly served alcohol at a restaurant and bar despite being underage before the accident. The case against the minor accused is ongoing before the Juvenile Justice Board.