Pune Porsche Crash: 'Sassoon Hospital Doctors Swapped Blood Samples Of Minor's Two Friends'

The prosecution has claimed that the blood samples of not only the 17-year-old minor involved but those of the two friends accompanying him were also replaced at the hospital.

The Porsche car found without number plate, in Pune, Tuesday, May 21, 2024. The car was allegedly driven by a 17-year-old boy who knocked down two motorbike riders on Sunday, causing their death in Kalyani Nagar of Pune city, as the police claim.

Source : PTI

Pune Porsche Car Crash: Fresh details have emerged in the Porsche crash case that took place in Pune's Kalyani Nagar. The prosecution in the case said on Thursday that the blood samples of not only the 17-year-old minor involved but those of the two friends accompanying him were also replaced at the government-run Sassoon hospital in Pune in order to establish that they were not drunk. 

The Sessions Court is hearing the bail applications of six accused in the case, namely, the minor's parents, Vishal Agarwal and Shivani Agarwal; Sassoon Hospital's Dr. Ajay Taware and Dr. Shreehari Halnor, and alleged middlemen, Ashpak Makandar and Amar Gaikwad.

The minor driver himself has been released from the observation home following a High Court order.

Continuing his arguments opposing the bail pleas, special prosecutor Shishir Hiray said that Dr. Halnor, despite knowing the consequences and having good knowledge of forensic medicine and medico-legal aspects, replaced the samples of the 17-year-old who was driving the car and those of his two friends, hours after the accident, as reported by news agency PTI.

The prosecutor said that the doctor did it on the instructions of the Agarwals and Dr. Taware and received Rs 2.5 lakh for it.

In May, a man and a woman, both 24 years old and IT professionals, lost their lives after the Porsche allegedly driven by the Agarwals' son hit their motorbike.

Citing the statement of a trainee (resident) doctor, the prosecutor told additional sessions judge U M Mudholkar that she was asked to collect blood samples of Shivani Agarwal. As per the police, the minor's blood samples were replaced with those of his mother.

In the case of his two friends, the prosecutor cited the statement of another resident doctor and said that the plan was to use the blood samples of their respective mothers as a substitute in the same way, as reported by PTI. 

But it could not be done because, in one case, the son and mother did not share the blood group, while the other boy's mother said she had consumed 30 ml of alcohol herself. Therefore, samples of two other men were used to swap these two boys' blood samples, the prosecutor told the court.

The trainee doctors were instructed to use dry cotton instead of cotton dipped in alcohol (spirit) to avoid possible alcohol contamination, the prosecutor said. Dr. Halnor did not allow any subordinate to prepare the notes but did it himself, he said.

The prosecutor also cited the statement of another resident doctor, to whom Dr Halnor allegedly handed over the Rs 2.5 lakh in cash he had received.

"Dr Halnor came to his hostel at B J Medical College on May 23 and told him he had received some money through Dr Taware, and since he had no cupboard in his hostel room, requested him to keep it in his cupboard. When the friend asked him what did he receive the money for, Dr Halnor said he will explain it later and he had done nothing wrong," advocate Hiray said.

As per an eye-witness at the accident site, a mob gathered and dragged the minor driver out of the car after the crash. The minor could not even stand properly at this point, indicating that he was drunk heavily, the prosecutor said.