Pune Accident: Doctor Who Replaced Blood Samples Appointed Head On Insistence Of State Minister, Says Hospital Dean

Sassoon Hospital has suspended Dr. Taware and dismissed Dr. Halnor after their arrest for allegedly tampering with blood samples from a juvenile involved in a Porsche crash.

Two doctors of the Sassoon General Hospital being taken into police custody after their arrest for alleged manipulation of blood samples and destruction of evidence in the case of a car accident involving a 17-year-old boy, in Pune, Monday, May 27, 2024.

Source : PTI

The dean of Pune's Sassoon Hospital, Dr. Vinayak Kale, has alleged that a state minister and an MLA influenced the appointment of a doctor accused of tampering with blood samples related to the Porsche accident case. He added that the doctor was made head of the forensic department at Sassoon Hospital.

The MLA, Sunil Tingre, was also accused of pressuring the Yerwada police station to be lenient in the case involving the deaths of two IT professionals.

As per NDTV report, the hospital's dean, Vinayak Kale, revealed at a press conference on Wednesday that Maharashtra Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif and Mr. Tingre had requested Dr. Ajay Tawade's appointment as head of the forensic department through a letter. Both politicians are from the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party, which is allied with the BJP, and the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra's government.

On Monday, Dr. Tawade and Dr. Shrihari Harnor, the Chief Medical Officer of Sassoon Hospital, were arrested. A peon, Atul Ghatkamble, who allegedly collected a ₹3 lakh bribe intended for the two doctors, was also arrested.

Dr. Kale announced that Dr. Tawade and Mr. Ghatkamble have been suspended, and Dr. Harnor's contract has been terminated. "The committee formed for the investigation at the state level conducted the probe for the whole day yesterday (Tuesday). I have taken action at my level," he said.

The Maharashtra Government's committee investigating the blood sample tampering is chaired by Dr. Pallavi Sapale, the dean of Grant Medical College and JJ group of hospitals.

Allegations Of Maharashtra Congress' President

Nana Patole, the Maharashtra President of the Congress, alleged on Tuesday that the son of an MLA was involved in a recent accident. He claimed that the legislator was in contact with the police after the incident and had also spoken to doctors, requesting them to alter blood samples.

Patole accused the police, politicians, and influential people in the state of having collusion.

Additionally, it has been revealed that the father of the teenager involved, a prominent builder in Pune, communicated with Dr. Tawade at least 14 times on May 19 through WhatsApp, FaceTime, and regular calls.