"ATM Parenting": SC Slams Rich Parents But Grants Bail in Porsche Case

Today (Feb 2, 2026), the Supreme Court of India granted bail to three co-accused involved in the infamous "blood sample swapping" conspiracy linked to the 2024 Pune Porsche crash. However, the legal relief came wrapped in a harsh moral lecture.

The bench, led by Justice B.V. Nagarathna, delivered a scathing observation on modern parenting among the affluent, remarking that juvenile delinquency stems from parents giving children "ATM cards and cars" instead of their time. The court released Aditya Sood and Ashish Mittal (fathers of the co-passengers) and a middleman, who had been jailed for over 18 months, ruling that their continued detention without a concluded trial violated their rights.

The Context (The "Blood Swap" Conspiracy)

• The Crash (May 2024): A drunk 17-year-old, Vedant Agarwal, crashed his Porsche into a motorbike in Pune’s Kalyani Nagar, killing two IT engineers, Aneesh Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta.
• The Cover-Up: The case exploded when it was revealed that doctors at Sassoon Hospital were bribed to swap the minor’s blood sample with his mother’s to hide alcohol traces. The fathers of the other minors in the car were also arrested for allegedly conspiring to swap their own children's samples to protect them.
• The Delay (Feb 2026): While the main accused (Vedant) was released to his aunt's custody back in June 2024, the adults involved in the cover-up have languished in jail. Today's bail acknowledges that the prosecution has failed to fast-track the trial, making "process the punishment."

The Key Players (Who & So What)

• Justice B.V. Nagarathna (Supreme Court Judge): The Moral Authority. Her comment—"Parents have no time to talk to their children... So what is the substitute? Money, ATM card"—frames the judicial view that the root cause of this tragedy wasn't just the crash, but the "affluenza" enabling it.
• The Co-Accused (Aditya Sood, Ashish Mittal): The Beneficiaries. These are the fathers of the friends who were in the Porsche. They were accused of tampering with evidence but secured bail today because the investigation is effectively stalled.
• Vishal & Shivani Agarwal: The Main Accused. The parents of the driver (Vedant) remain the central figures. Today's order sets a strong legal precedent that could pave the way for their release soon, arguing parity in "prolonged incarceration."

The BIGSTORY Reframe (Systemic Collapse)

While the media headlines focus on the "ATM Parenting" quote, the real story is the failure of the Forensic & Judicial Timeline.

• Bail by Default: The Supreme Court didn't grant bail because the accused are innocent; it granted bail because the State couldn't finish the trial in 18 months. This is a recurring pattern in high-profile Indian cases—public outrage leads to immediate arrests, but the slow pace of forensic labs and charge-sheets eventually forces the courts to release the accused on technical grounds.
• The AI Pivot: With the minor shielded from physical reenactments, Pune Police are reportedly using AI-based simulation software to digitally reconstruct the crash for the final trial. This case is becoming a test bed for "Digital Twin" forensics in India.

The Implications (Why This Matters)

• For Parents: The judgment reinforces a growing legal standard where parents are criminally liable for their minor children's actions if they provided the means (car/money). It serves as a warning to Pune's elite: your child's crime is your crime.
• For the Victims' Families: The release of the co-accused will likely be viewed as a denial of justice. With the main driver already out of the observation home and the "adults" now getting bail, the sense of accountability for the deaths of Aneesh and Ashwini is fading.

The Closing Question (Now, Think About This)

If the Supreme Court believes "ATM cards" are the problem, does granting bail to the people who provided them solve the issue, or does it prove that the "ATM card" eventually buys a way out of everything?

FAQs: Pune Porsche Case Update

1. Who got bail in the Pune Porsche case today? The Supreme Court granted bail to Aditya Sood, Ashish Mittal (fathers of the co-passengers in the car), and Amar Gaikwad (a middleman). They were accused of being part of the blood sample swapping conspiracy.

2. Is the main accused, Vedant Agarwal, in jail? No. Vedant Agarwal (the minor driver) was released from the observation home in June 2024 by the Bombay High Court, which ruled his detention illegal. He is currently with his family and is facing proceedings before the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB), not as an adult.

3. Did the parents of the driver get bail? Not today. Vishal and Shivani Agarwal (Vedant's parents) were denied bail by the High Court in December 2025. However, legal experts believe today's SC order for the co-accused improves their chances of getting bail soon.

4. What did the Supreme Court say about parents? The bench observed that wealthy parents often neglect giving time to their children, substituting it with "money, ATM cards, and cars," which leads to a lack of guidance and eventual juvenile delinquency.

Sources

News Coverage

• Live Law: Parents give ATM cards, not time: SC grants bail in Pune Porsche blood swap case
• Bar & Bench: Supreme Court slams 'affluenza' parenting; releases co-accused after 18 months
• Times of India: Pune Porsche Case: Co-accused get bail, SC questions parenting norms