Porsche case: ‘We are not living a normal life now'
On May 19, 2024, Sampreet Koshta and his parents were in an ambulance travelling with the body of Ashwini Koshta, from Pune to Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh. Grieving relatives, neighbours and well-wishers were waiting for them.
Ashwini, a 24-year-old IT engineer, was one of the victims of the road accident now known as the Porsche case. She had been riding pillion with her friend and colleague, Aneesh Awadhiya, when their bike was hit by a car being driven by a drunk minor on the night of May 19, 2024. She died on the spot.
The tragedy has become heavier to bear in the months that followed. 'My parents are always thinking about my sister. They do not step out; if someone invites them to a wedding or a get-together, they do not go. They are trying to recover from what has happened. They are deeply immersed in the case,' says Sampreet, Ashwini's elder brother.
He adds that he is 'just holding my parents together so that they don't shatter'. 'We are not living a normal life now. It is very difficult to have a day that was like before this accident took place,' he adds.
Ashwini had been planning to visit home in June to surprise her father on his birthday. The family said she was smart and independent and they had been looking forward to the day she would get married. They had not dreamed that they would have to send her off at a pyre.
Sampreet adds that the family's shock is compounded by the delay in the trial. 'From the trial point of view, the judgment point of view, and the punishment point of view, nothing is happening. It has been a year now and no trial has begun. We are sending letters to the honorable Supreme Court, high court and district court. We feel a little helpless,' he says.
The family is in touch with the authorities, including the investigating officer who has told them that the trial will begin soon 'but we didn't got any date'. They will attend the trials once it begins. 'We feel encouraged that the investigation was carried out well. Pune police has done a good job in investigating all the factors. Many of the accused were sent to jail. The main accused's mother got bail only recently after spending 10 months in jail. Our public prosecutor, senior lawyer Shishir Hiray, is also trying his best to send the accused to jail,' he says.
The family is appealing for the case to be sent to a fast-track court so that the victims of the accident get justice as soon as possible. 'This case does not need any further investigation as everything is clear. It would be a significant step if the accused were to be treated as an adult and punished as an adult and the age mark of 18 years not be considered. The age level should be lowered to 16 due to the alarming rise in juvenile crimes in India,' says Sampreet.
Dipanita Nath is interested in the climate crisis and sustainability. She has written extensively on social trends, heritage, theatre and startups. She has worked with major news organizations such as Hindustan Times, The Times of India and Mint. ... Read More
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
4 hours ago
- Indian Express
‘Abuse of process of law', Telangana HC quashes dowry harassment charges against in-laws of Hyderabad woman in absence of specific details
The Telangana High Court Friday quashed criminal proceedings against the aged parents and married sister of a man accused of dowry harassment and cheating. Justice Juvvadi Sridevi noted that the allegations against the in-laws were vague and lacked specific details, amounting to an 'abuse of process of law'. However, the primary accused, the husband, will face trial for the alleged offences. The case pertains to a wife's complaint alleging offences under Sections 498-A (cruelty by husband or relatives of husband), and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code, and Sections 4 and 6 of the Dowry Prohibition Act. The couple has been married since 2009 and has two children. According to the wife, the husband subjected her to physical and mental harassment at the instigation of his family members. The wife alleged that the children were taken away from her to Gurgaon without her knowledge or consent by the husband. The petitioners (the husband, his parents, and sister) sought to quash the proceedings against them in a case on the file of XV Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate in Hyderabad. The counsel for the petitioners argued that there were no specific allegations against them, and they never interfered in the marital issues or demanded dowry. They also highlighted that the parents are aged (70 and 60 years) and that the in-laws reside in Gurgaon, Haryana, away from the couple's home. Referencing a Supreme Court decision in 'Dara Lakshmi Narayana and others versus State of Telangana and another', the high court stated, 'Making vague and generalised allegations during matrimonial conflicts, if not scrutinized, will lead to the misuse of legal processes and an encouragement for use of arm twisting tactics by a wife and/or her family.' The court noted that 'Sometimes, recourse is taken to invoke Section 498-A of the IPC against the husband and his family in order to seek compliance with the unreasonable demands of a wife.' The Court stated that there are no specific allegations of dowry demand, dishonesty, or fraudulent intention attributable to the parents and sister. It noted that the primary allegation revolved around the husband's conduct of taking the children, which the court stated does not fall under Sections 420 or 498-A of the IPC. The court further observed that despite allegations of physical assault by the husband, there was no medical evidence or statement from a competent medical practitioner to substantiate the claims. Rahul V Pisharody is an Assistant Editor with the Indian Express Online and has been reporting from Telangana on various issues since 2019. Besides a focused approach to big news developments, Rahul has a keen interest in stories about Hyderabad and its inhabitants and looks out for interesting features on the city's heritage, environment, history culture etc. His articles are straightforward and simple reads in sync with the context. Rahul started his career as a journalist in 2011 with The New Indian Express and worked in different roles at the Hyderabad bureau for over 8 years. As Deputy Metro Editor, he was in charge of the Hyderabad bureau of the newspaper and coordinated with the team of district correspondents, centres and internet desk for over three years. A native of Palakkad in Kerala, Rahul has a Master's degree in Communication (Print and New Media) from the University of Hyderabad and a Bachelor's degree in Business Management from PSG College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore. Long motorcycle rides and travel photography are among his other interests. ... Read More
The Hindu
6 hours ago
- The Hindu
Anchor Swetcha death case: Man arrested for abetment, POCSO charges invoked
The Chikkadpally police of Hyderabad arrested Purnachander Rao in the television journalist Swetcha Votarkar death case on Sunday. Rao was detained and taken into custody in the early hours of Sunday after he appeared before them with his lawyer. Police have altered the case from a suspicious death to one of abetment to suicide and have also invoked relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Officials declined to reveal the specific nature of the POCSO charges, citing Supreme Court guidelines. Swetcha Votarkar, 40, was found dead at her residence in Jawahar Nagar on Friday. She is survived by her 13-year-old daughter. Her body was discovered hanging in her home, and the initial case was registered as a suspicious death pending the post-mortem report from Gandhi Hospital. The case took a turn after Swetcha's father, Shankar Votarkar, alleged that Purnachander Rao had been harassing his daughter for the past three years under the pretext of marriage. Following the family's formal complaint naming Purnachander Rao as responsible for Swetcha's death, police took up the investigation, which has now led to his arrest. The probe is ongoing. Meanwhile, Rao's advocate in this case, Sravan Kumar, addressed the media outside the Chikkadpally police station on Sunday and said that he was booked under sections 69 (sexual intercourse with false promise of marriage) and 109 (abetment of suicide) of the BNS Act. 'Another FIR was booked under sections of POCSO Act based on a statement by Swetcha's daughter. Rao's statement on this is that he looked after the child as his own daughter and that there is proof of him admitting her to school and paying for her birthday celebrations etc. He said that he was warned not to come to her funeral by people,' said the advocate. (Roshini suicide prevention helpline numbers are: 8142020033/44 and 040 66202000/2001.)
India Gazette
8 hours ago
- India Gazette
Bar Council of India issues advisory against unapproved online LLM programmes
New Delhi [India], June 29 (ANI): In a decisive step toward preserving the credibility of legal education in India, the Bar Council of India (BCI) has issued a formal advisory against the proliferation of unapproved LL.M. (Master of Laws) programmes offered in online, distance, or hybrid formats. This advisory reinforces the exclusive regulatory role of the BCI and emphasizes compliance with existing legal and academic frameworks. The letter, authored by Justice Rajendra Menon, former Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court and Co-Chairman of the Standing Committee on Legal Education, was addressed to the Registrar Generals of all High Courts as well as the Supreme Court of India. Copies of the letter were also circulated to universities and State Bar Councils to ensure compliance and initiate appropriate action. The advisory reiterates the binding authority of Supreme Court rulings, the UGC (Open and Distance Learning) Regulations, 2020, and BCI's own Legal Education Rules (2008 and 2020), under which LL.M. programmes must secure prior approval before being conducted via non-traditional methods. Any deviation, it warns, threatens the standard, uniformity, and legal sanctity of postgraduate legal education across the country. Letter issued in this regards stated that, alarmed by the growing number of institutions offering programmes under alternative titles such as LL.M. (Professional), Executive LL.M., or in Cyber Law, the BCI has highlighted that many of these courses are being run without mandatory approvals. Such practices, it stated, not only violate Supreme Court directives but also mislead students and degrade academic quality. The Bar Council clarified that under the Advocates Act, 1961, it is the only statutory authority empowered to regulate both undergraduate and postgraduate law programmes. No other entity--including UGC or autonomous universities--can validate LL.M. courses independently. The Council emphasized that an LL.M. degree is the minimum qualification required for teaching law, and therefore any relaxation in quality or regulatory compliance directly affects the legal profession. In light of these violations, the BCI has urged High Courts take judicial notice of the BCI's exclusive authority in legal education, Reject qualifications obtained from unapproved LL.M. programmes for appointments or promotions and Require institutions and individuals to submit compliance verification from the BCI where necessary. To protect students and uphold public trust, the Bar Council plans to release a public advisory cautioning against enrollment in such unauthorized programmes. It is also preparing to initiate contempt proceedings and other legal measures against institutions found violating these guidelines. (ANI)
