Porsche crash in Pune: How doctors “altered” the teenage driver’s blood sample | Sequence of events | Latest news from India

Latest news on the Porsche car accident in Pune: Two young IT professionals were killed in Pune’s Kalyani Nagar area in the early hours of May 19 when their motorcycle was hit by a speeding Porsche allegedly driven by a 17-year-old boy. According to Pune police, the teenager was drunk at the time. On Monday, police commissioner Amitesh Kumar said the teenager’s blood samples had been disposed of and replaced with samples from another person, which showed no trace of alcohol.

Pune police have arrested Dr Ajay Taware, head of the forensic medicine department of Sassoon General Hospital, Dr Shrihari Halnor, the chief medical officer, and an associate, Atul Ghatkamble, who works under Dr Taware. They have been remanded in police custody till May 30.

News18, Citing unnamed sources, reported on the sequence of events that led to the tampering with the teenage driver’s blood sample.

What happened after the Porsche accident in Pune?

• On May 19 at 11 a.m., a blood sample of the minor accused was taken to Sassoon General Hospital.
• Vishal Agarwal, the teenager’s father, contacted Dr. Ajay Taware.
• Dr. Ajay Taware asked Dr. Shrihari Halnor to swap the samples and the blood sample of another person was sent to the forensic laboratory.
• Doctors at Sassoon General Hospital reported that the minor accused had not consumed any alcohol.
• Police took another blood sample from the juvenile defendant for DNA testing at another government hospital.
• The second blood sample matched both the minor defendant and the father.
• The blood sample from Sassoon General Hospital did not match that of the accused.
• During police questioning, the doctor admitted to having mixed up the blood sample.
• Pune police suspect that a laboratory technician or employee helped the three arrested people.

Car accident in Pune: Investigation commission visits Sassoon Hospital

A three-member investigation committee into the alleged tampering of blood samples of the teenage driver involved in the Porsche car crash on Tuesday visited the Sassoon General Hospital and also met with police officials investigating the case.

In a related development, a local court ordered the 17-year-old’s father to remain in police custody until May 31 in the family driver’s “kidnapping” case.

The committee, chaired by Dr Pallavi Sapale, Dean of Grant Medical College and JJ Group of Hospitals, arrived at Sassoon Hospital earlier in the day.

The committee also visited the Pune Criminal Investigation Department office, which has taken over the accident case.

“We will submit our observations to the state government and it is the government’s prerogative to decide what action it wants to take,” said Dr Sapale. “We have been instructed by the government to submit the report as soon as possible,” she added.

(With inputs from PTI)