Pune Porsche Crash Case: In the latest updates in the case, the police have now arrested a peon of Sassoon General Hospital for allegedly collecting Rs 3 lakh from the teen's family, meant as bribe for the two doctors, who were recently arrested for manipulation of evidence.
The development comes 10 days after the incident occurred on May 19, claiming the lives of two 24-year-old IT professionals— Anish and Ashwini, who were hit by a 17-year-old accused Vedant Agarwal, driving the sports car at over 200 kmph.
Here's what we know about the Pune Porsche crash case
- Pune Police on May 27 apprehended two doctors of Sassoon General Hospital—Ajay Tawade and Srihari Halnor for replacing the blood sample of the juvenile. The arrests were made after the teen's sample was found in the dustbin of the hospital.
- Today, Halnor complained to the police of an infection and was thereafter admitted to the hospital for a check-up.
- The swapped blood sample showed no traces of alcohol. All of this was reportedly a set up by the teen's family to save him from the charges, for which they bribed the concerned doctors and handed over the bribe through the peon.
- Following the arrests, both the doctors and the peon have been remanded in police custody till May 30 by the court of judicial magistrate first class, AA Pande.
- The prosecution sought their custody for 10 days, saying that the juvenile's father, Vishal Agarwal, a realtor, had contacted Taware, asking him to change the blood samples.
- The police is currently investigating if there was anyone else involved in the manipulation of evidence. Besides this, a separate probe to determine whose blood samples were used to replace the accused's samples is also being conducted.
- The Maharashtra government has also set up a three-member committee following the doctors' arrest in connection with the alleged manipulation of the blood sample of the juvenile driver.
- According to Pune police sources, the doctors not only changed the blood report of the minor in exchange for money but also promised his father and grandfather that they would face no medical-related issues in return for the bribe.
- As a result, the accused was given a clean chit during the physical check-up as well.
- On the morning of May 19, after an FIR was registered, the minor accused was taken to the hospital for a physical check-up. In this check-up, the doctors also gave the accused a clean chit, stating that he was neither under the influence of alcohol nor had any injury marks from the accident on his body. However, the accused had been beaten by people at the scene of the incident, which should have been reflected in his medical report.
- Juvenile's grandfather, Surendra Agarwal was also arrested by the police, following a complaint filed by the family's driver, who said he was being detained by him.
- Slapping him with kidnapping charges, the police arrested Surendra for "wrongful confinement" under Sections 365 and 366 of the Indian Penal Code.
- The family also tried to put the blame on the driver claim responsibility for the incident.
- Previously, accused's father, Vishal Agarwal, was also sent to a 14-day judicial custody.
- A court allowed the police to take Vishal's custody from Yerwda central Jail in connection with wrongful confinement and kidnapping of his driver.
- The accused teen, who has now been sent to an observation home till June 5 following the outrage and police's review application, was said to be in an inebriated state at the time of the crash.
- Pune Police have also added Sections 201, 120-B, 467, 213 and 214 of the Indian Penal Code to the original offence registered against the accused teen.
- Vedant Agarwal, the juvenile, was earlier granted bail by the juvenile justice board, which asked him to write a 300-word essay on road accidents.
- The Pune police stated it had sufficient CCTV footage to prove the teen was drinking in a pub even though the reports claimed he had tested for negative for alcohol.