After two software engineers were killed by a 17-year-old driving a Porsche in Pune, the city's once-vibrant nightlife scene has lost its charm. The incident, which happened while the teen was intoxicated, has angered people and made businesses in the Maharashtra city more cautious about following the law. Entrepreneur and fitness influencer Chirag Barjatya recently shared a video showcasing the extraordinarily empty interiors of various pubs in Pune like Toit or Pune social following the Porsche tragedy. Barjatya noted that these venues, typically visited by high school and college students, are now enforcing stringent age restrictions, prohibiting entry to underage people.
In a post on X, he wrote, "Pune clubs are empty. The crowd that used to party the most (high school kids and college kids) are not even being allowed to enter. They have stopped serving alcohol in the clubs except near the bar area. Even 40-50 years old people are being asked to show IDs for entry."
Prior to this incident, adherence to Maharashtra's legal drinking age of 25 was reportedly lax. However, the fatal accident involving the underage driver has served as a wake-up call, prompting clubs and pubs to tighten their entry policies. The minor responsible for the tragedy had been filmed consuming alcohol at a pub before the fateful crash, which claimed the lives of two individuals.
Barjatya highlighted the stark transformation in Pune's club scene, observing a significant decrease in foot traffic and stringent ID checks even for older people. Numerous comments on his social media post corroborated the enhanced scrutiny at pubs, with some establishments reportedly refusing entry to anyone below the age of 25.
While some individuals welcomed the heightened security measures, others expressed scepticism, suggesting that the strict enforcement may be temporary.
Amidst these developments, Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar clarified that the underage driver was deemed to be in an ordered state during the accident on May 19. The teenager has since been remanded to an observation home until June 5, while his father, a prominent builder, faces legal repercussions.