In the Pune Porsche crash case, two doctors from Sassoon Hospital have been arrested for reportedly tampering with the blood sample of the 17-year-old accused. The minor, the son of a prominent Pune realtor, was involved in a high-speed crash on May 19 that resulted in the deaths of two software engineers, Anish Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta.
Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar revealed that Dr. Ajay Tawade, the head of the forensic medicine department at Sassoon Hospital, and Dr. Srihari Halnor, Chief Medical Officer, cooperated to replace the blood sample of the accused. The initial sample, taken at 11 a.m. on the day of the accident, was discarded, and another person's blood was sent for testing instead.
Around 11 am on May 19, a blood sample (of the teen) that was taken at Sassoon Hospital was thrown in a dustbin and the blood sample of another person was taken and sent to the forensic lab. CMO Srihari Halnor replaced this blood sample. During the investigation, we found Srihari Halnor replaced this on the instructions of Ajay Tawade, HOD of the Forensic Medicine Department at Sassoon Hospital. Our case is that he had full knowledge of his conduct... he parties in two bars and rashly drives a car without a number plate on a narrow, congested street. He was fully in his senses, and he knew that people may die because of his actions. Dr Shrihari Halnor, who had taken the blood sample from the juvenile, was arrested last night. During interrogation, he revealed that he had changed the blood sample on the directions of Dr Ajay Taware, the HOD of Forensic MedicineAmitesh Kumar, Police Commissioner, Pune
The minor was initially reported to have tested negative for alcohol. However, CCTV footage from a bar he visited before the accident showed him drinking with friends. This discrepancy led to further investigation, revealing that the blood samples had been switched. DNA tests confirmed that the blood tested did not belong to the accused.
Further complicating the case, it was uncovered that the accused's father, Vishal Agrawal, had contacted Dr. Tawade on the day of the accident. Both doctors' phones have been seized as part of the investigation. The police suspect that Agrawal, along with his father, attempted to influence the legal process to protect the teen. Both have been arrested, with charges under the Juvenile Justice Act, for allegedly threatening and confining the family’s driver to take the blame for the crash.
Initially, the minor was granted bail just 15 hours after the accident under conditions widely criticized as compassionate. But later, the Juvenile Justice Board changed the order and sent him to an observation home in response to increasing outrage. The police have requested the board’s permission to try the teen as an adult, given the severity of the incident.
Commissioner Kumar emphasized that the case goes beyond a typical drunk driving accident. He stated that the accused was fully aware of his actions, driving recklessly without a number plate on a narrow, congested street. The police believe the teen acted with full knowledge that his behavior could result in fatalities.
The investigation also uncovered that two different blood samples were taken from the accused on the day of the accident. The first sample, showing no alcohol, raised suspicions. A second sample taken later in the day showed alcohol, leading to DNA tests that confirmed the initial sample was switched. The police have charged the doctors with criminal conspiracy, forgery, and destruction of evidence.
The tragic incident has triggered a significant public outrage, prompting demands for an inquiry supervised by the Supreme Court. The families of the victims have demanded strict punishment for the accused, labeling the incident "murder, not an accident."
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/ Susmita Bhandary/MSM)