Porsche crash accused's ‘post-bail’ celebration video goes viral; family says ‘old’ clip, alleges ‘mental trauma’

Public outrage erupted on social media over a purported video, which many claimed showed the family of the Pune Porsche crash accused celebrating after getting bail in the case.

As the video was widely circulated on social media, the family issued a clarification, saying the viral clip was "taken out of context".

They said the video was shot in 2023 and not following his release after the Supreme Court granted him bail in March this year.

The Supreme Court granted bail to Vishal Agarwal, who is alleged to have conspired to swap blood samples to shield his son from legal consequences after a fatal accident in Pune in 2024.

The viral video shows Agarwal dancing with his wife and son at what appears to be a local restaurant while live music plays in the background.

The backlash over viral video

The purported video faced widespread backlash, with many questioning the “system”.

"I genuinely don't understand how people are celebrating bail when two people are dead. Every time the Pune Porsche accident comes back into the news, it somehow gets even uglier," a user said on X.

"My blood is boiling. This is the family of that Porsche guy who killed two innocent engineers in a road accident. The accused got bail, and now look at them celebrating like he did something heroic. No regret, no shame," another user posted.

Actor Prakash Raj also posted the video, saying, “You can Rape, Murder, give Hate speeches, kill people in accidents… Our Judiciary will surely grant bail. But … but .. but .. your name should not be #UmarKhalid.”

Another said, "That phrase carries the whole problem. Indian trials rarely conclude at the earliest. They run for years. And when a serious trial runs long enough, bail becomes the verdict."

Suresh Koshta, the father of one of the deceased, told ANI, "It must be a practice in their society to kill two people and then celebrate...They are mocking the common citizens."

"Law is locking the common man because it is the law which grants them provisions to avoid punishment, that if one is a juvenile, they can do anything...," he said.

"The Supreme Court should pass a judgment which would instil fear of law among the people. There is no fear of the law anymore. If one is awarded punishment by the High Court, they are let go by the Supreme Court. This encourages crime...," he said.

He demanded that the accused's bail should be revoked and “his parents should be jailed. If it comes before the Supreme Court, they should not be granted bail...”

Family issues clarification, alleges ‘mental trauma’

In a press note accessed by The Hindustan Times, Vishal Agarwal, the father of the minor accused in the Pune Porsche crash case, claimed that the video circulating online is from 2023, a year before the incident.

"The factual aspect concerning the alleged video is that the said video was shot on 2nd September 2023 regarding the event i.e. my 25th wedding anniversary, which was celebrated in Goa," Agarwal was quoted as saying.

He added that reports claiming that the family was celebrating his release from jail are "false and misconceived."

The Goa hotel event took place much before the registration of the offence in the Porsche car crash at Yerwada police station in Pune on May 19, 2024, the statement by the family's legal team read, as per PTI.

It asked media outlets and channels to immediately take down the video and issue clarifications, stating that the reports were based on false and defamatory information.

Agarwal said the circulation of the clip had caused mental trauma to his family and could prejudice the right to a free and fair trial, according to PTI.

He said the family is pursuing legal recourse over the "leak" of private videos, calling it an infringement of the right to privacy guaranteed under the Constitution, PTI reported.

He expressed apprehension that some individuals were attempting to create a negative public perception amid pending court proceedings.

Advocate Dhvani Shah was quoted by PTI as saying that the video is not a recent recording, but an old video from the wedding anniversary celebration held in 2023.

"The clip is being shared out of context, which has unfortunately led to unnecessary speculation and the creation of a misleading narrative. We request everyone not to draw conclusions based on outdated content and to refrain from spreading unverified information," Shah said.

What's the Porsche crash case?

A Porsche car allegedly driven by a 17-year-old minor crashed into a motorcycle in Pune's Kalyani Nagar area on 19 May 2024, killing two IT professionals.

The minor, who was allegedly drunk at the time of the accident, was granted bail within hours, with an order to write a 300-word essay on road safety.

Vishal Agarwal was among the 10 accused arrested in connection with the alleged swapping of blood samples of the juvenile driver and his two minor friends, who were in the Porsche.

According to the prosecution, the juvenile's blood samples were replaced with those of his mother at Sassoon General Hospital, allegedly with the help of two doctors, to conceal that he was under the influence of alcohol.