A Year After Porsche Crash, Pune’s Nightlife Regulation Fades Into Silence Amid Rising Drunk Driving Incidents

One year after the Kalyaninagar Porsche crash, Pune’s drunk driving menace resurfaces and the promised crackdown on illegal pubs appears to have fizzled out.

Pune, May 2025: On May 19, 2024, a speeding Porsche in Kalyaninagar took the lives of two young IT professionals and jolted the city into a moment of reckoning. The tragedy had prompted Maharashtra’s Chief Minister to order a swift crackdown: “Bulldoze all illegal pubs flouting building rules,” he had directed. There was urgency, outrage, and a promise of reform.

One year on, residents say that urgency has all but vanished.

Locals from Kalyaninagar, Koregaon Park, and Mundhwa — the epicentres of Pune’s nightlife — say the initial enforcement drive has lost steam. Illegal pubs continue to flourish, many operating late into the night without the required police permissions.

According to RTI information obtained recently, only 23 pubs and discos in Pune currently have the mandatory licenses to operate and even among those, one has already had its permission revoked. According to the information provided, a discotheque license is a legal requirement for any establishment with a designated dance floor or area. These licensed venues are permitted to operate from 11:30 am to 1:30 am, provided they comply with all relevant laws, including noise pollution regulations. Additionally, the establishments must ensure that their activities do not offend religious sentiments or involve obscene dances. Proper parking arrangements are also a prerequisite.

The Alarming Pattern: Drunk Driving Still Rampant

Since the Porsche crash, Pune has seen a disturbing string of alcohol-related traffic incidents:

• May 2025: A speeding Mercedes kills a two-wheeler rider on Navale Bridge, Sinhagad
• April 19: A drunk crane driver crashes into an Air Force officer’s car on Sinhagad Road
• March: A BMW driver, visibly drunk, is caught urinating in public in Yerawada; another drunk driver crashes into a divider and hits a scooter on NIBM Road
• December 5, 2024: A 19-year-old SUV driver, intoxicated, crashes into five vehicles on Baner-Sus Road
• December (other incidents):
  • A drunk truck driver crushes six people sleeping on the footpath near Kesnand Phata
  • An auto driver, high and on the wrong side of Nagar Road, crashes and kills his 38-year-old passenger
• October 2024: A 23-year-old food delivery agent, the sole earner in his family, is killed by an inebriated executive in Koregaon Park

Citizens Ask: Where’s the Accountability?

Despite repeated tragedies, visible enforcement and regulation remain weak. Locals allege that many pubs still operate beyond permitted hours, with little oversight on age checks or alcohol service. The promised clean-up, once lauded as much-needed, now appears to be a short-lived performance.

Call for Action:

With yet another summer and tourist season approaching, citizens are urging:

• Immediate audits of all nightlife establishments
• Stricter enforcement of license and zoning laws
• Revival of drunk driving checkpoints, especially on weekends
• Real-time accountability for police and civic bodies

The question remains, how many more lives must be lost before real change is implemented?

What began as a promise of reform risks becoming just another forgotten outrage. For Pune, the cost of inaction is being paid in blood, one crash at a time.