Supriya Sule demands report on Sassoon’s performance of 5 years

17-year-old ran Porsche over IT professionals in Pune. MP Supriya Sule demands transparency after doctors arrested for tampering with blood samples. Political leaders call for thorough investigation.

MUMBAI/ PUNE: When a 17-year-old ran his Porsche over two IT professions in Pune on May19, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had remarked that Pune police should not be pressurised to compromise investigation into the case. Soon after, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MP Supriya Sule demanded that the name of the person who was “pressurising” the cops be revealed.

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On Tuesday, a day after two doctors from Sassoon General Hospital (SGH) -- Dr Ajay Taware, head of the forensics department, and its casualty medical officer, Dr Srihari Halnor -- were arrested for allegedly tampering with the blood samples of the juvenile to influence the probe, Sule sought a white paper on the functioning of the hospital. The involvement of two doctors in the case, she said, had dented the hospital’s reputation.

“The hospital has been serving people for decades but recently there have been complaints against it. Last year Dr Taware was allegedly involved in letting drug lord Lalit Patil overstay in the hospital. Now there are allegations of swapping blood samples – all these complaints need to be investigated in detail,” said Sule. “At the same time, it is important to review the hospital’s performance – thus the government must come out with a white paper reviewing the hospital’s performance over the last five years.”

Alongside, Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole, claimed that there was another person, “the son of the MLA who had recommended Dr Taware be made medical superintendent at the hospital” apart from the minor driver in the Porsche at the time of the accident, and sought CBI investigation into the case. Pune commissioner of Police, Amitesh Kumar, said Patole’s claims had no bearing. Patole alleged apart from the MLA, another minister pushed Dr Taware’s case as medical superintendent.

Chief minister Eknath Shinde said, “stern directives had been issued to Pune police and they will spare no one”. “I have directed the police to take strong action in this matter. Those who died were also the children of someone. We will check everyone’s backgrounds. No one – including the doctors – can escape consequences of the probe,” he said.

Committee begins probe

On Tuesday, the newly appointed 3-member probe committee headed by Dr Pallavi Saple, dean of JJ hospital, Mumbai, visited Sassoon’s forensic laboratory where blood sample of the accused was allegedly replaced with an unknown person. Dr Saple also met police officials probing the crash at the crime branch where she interacted with senior officers. “I am trying to get accurate information about what exactly happened. We will submit the findings to the government soon, following which it will decide on further course of action on the doctors and another employee of the hospital.”

Meanwhile, opposing Dr Saple’s inclusion in the probe committee, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare said, “In 2018-19, Shiv Sena MLA Yamini Jadhav had alleged when she was the head of Government Medical College, in Miraj, Dr Saple sold blood plasma from the government blood bank. Before appointing her to investigate such a serious case, the government must answer this.”

Ambadas Danve, leader of opposition in Legislative Council, raised the pitch a notch, saying, “We are not accepting this committee and demand a judicial probe.”

The Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) has also issued notices to the two doctors, seeing explanation about the allegations made on them. “We will conduct an enquiry after that – if anyone is found guilty strict action will be taken against them,” said Dr Vinky Rughwani, an administrator of MMC.