News outlets misidentify content creator as minor accused in Pune Porsche accident

By: Ankita Kulkarni
May 24 2024

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Screenshot shows the image of a boy included in the viral video impersonating the minor accused in the Pune Porsche road accident case. (Source: X/ News 18 Lokmath/TV9 Marathi/ABP Majha)

What is the claim? 

A video featuring a curly-haired youth singing a rap song that mocks the Pune Porsche road accident, which resulted in the death of two IT professionals, is circulating on social media platforms. The youth is being misidentified as the 17-year-old minor accused in the case.

Several news organizations, including Marathi news channels TV9 Marathi, News 18 Lokmat, and ABP Majha, broadcast the viral video with the same claim. While News18 Lokmat and ABP Majha stated that they couldn't confirm the video's contents, they did identify the rapper as the accused minor.

Numerous social media accounts shared the video, and archived versions of such posts can be accessed here and here.

Screenshot of the viral posts being shared on social media platforms.
(Source: X/Screenshot/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, Logically Facts discovered that the now-viral video does not feature the accused in the Pune Porsche crash. Instead, it features a content creator who falsely identifies as the minor accused.

What did we discover? 

Multiple accounts on X (formerly Twitter) clarified that the person in the video is not the accused minor but a content creator who goes by the name "Cringistaan 2," who uploaded the video as his Instagram Story.

Screenshot of a social media post clarifying that the viral clip features a video creator and not the minor accused. (Source: X/Screenshot)

We located the Instagram account named "Cringistaan 2." Since the video was uploaded as an Instagram Story—an in-app feature that allows users to post photos or videos that automatically disappear within 24 hours—it no longer exists.

However, on May 24, 2024, the content creator uploaded another similar 'rap song' on his Instagram Stories, in which he states, "I am the son of a builder" and “my car breaks got failed (sic).” This video also contains explicit language. A few hours later, he posted an image of a different damaged car, mocking the incident.

These stories feature the same youth and suggest that he has been posting content impersonating the minor accused in the case.

Screenshot of other stories posted by the content creator. (Source: Instagram/Screenshot)

Upon scrolling through the Instagram account, we found that the user has created several explicit and provocative videos in the past.

Additionally, the accused's mother released a clarification video (archived here) stating that the video does not feature her minor son. The video was shared online by a Pune-based media house, Punekar News, showing the viral clip and stating, "I want to request the media that the video being circulated is not my son. They are all fake videos. My son is in the detention center. Please, request the police commissioner to protect him."

Multiple media outlets also reported that the minor accused is currently in the detention center until June 5, 2024. We have contacted Police Inspector (Crime) Rahul Jagdale at Yerawada police station for clarification, and the story will be updated if and when we receive a response.

What is the Porsche accident case? 

On May 19, 2024, two software engineers, Anish Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta, were killed after being hit by a Porsche car in Pune's Kalyani Nagar. The car was allegedly driven by the 17-year-old minor son of a prominent builder.

After the accident, videos of bystanders assaulting the minor emerged, in which they could be heard accusing him of drunk driving. The teenager was initially granted bail by Pune's Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) with conditions that included "writing a 300-word essay on 'road accidents and their solutions,' studying traffic rules for 15 days, attending counseling for his drinking habit, and receiving psychiatric treatment."

However, following massive outrage on social media, the Pune police urged the JJB to try the accused as an adult. While the request was denied, the minor's bail was revoked, and he was reportedly sent to a remand home for 15 days until June 5.

The verdict

A video of a content creator singing a rap song has been shared with a false claim that it features the minor accused in the Pune hit-and-run case 'mocking' the lives of the two victims who died in the crash. Therefore, we have marked the claim as false.

(Editor's Note: Logically Facts has refrained from adding links to the post or the video due to its explicit language.)