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Porsche accident: 2 Pune docs arrested for cover-up
The duo was arrested for manipulation in blood samples to tamper the evidence which is a criminal conspiracy
Pune: The Pune crime branch on Monday arrested the head of forensics department at Sassoon General Hospital (SGH), Dr Ajay Taware, and the hospital’s casualty medical officer, Dr Srihari Halnor, on charges of allegedly destroying evidence and manipulating the blood samples of the 17-year-old who drove his Porsche over two techies on a two-wheeler, in an alleged state of inebriation last week. The arrests were made after the doctors were questioned by cops for 12 hours on Sunday. Police have also arrested Atul Ghatkamble, the assistant at the hospital’s mortuary, who worked under Dr Taware.
Pune crime branch took over the investigation of the case on Friday last week.
According to the commissioner of police, Amitesh Kumar, acting on Dr Taware’s instructions, Dr Halnor threw the accused’s blood sample in a dustbin, and replaced it with a sample taken from an unidentified person to manipulate the outcome of the test. In the evening, after they were produced in a Pune court, Taware, Halnor and Ghatkamble were remanded to police custody till May 30, with the prosecution seeking custodial interrogation to ascertain if there are more people involved in the case.
“Police are trying to investigate whose blood sample was replaced with that of the juvenile. We have already seized CCTV footage and the DVR from Sassoon hospital,” said Kumar.
After the incident, police had taken two blood samples of the accused – one was sent to Sassoon and the other at Aundh hospital. Results of the second blood sample and DNA profiling of juvenile with his father gave away that the first was replaced by the two doctors.
Further investigation revealed that the juvenile’s father, a prominent builder in Pune, was in touch with Dr Taware. “We have technical evidence showing that father was in touch with the doctor,” said Kumar.
Deputy commissioner of police (Crime) Amol Zende said, “The accused were arrested on Monday morning by the crime branch team under Indian Penal Code sections 120(b) (criminal conspiracy), 201 (punishment for destroying evidence), 214 (gratification for concealing an offense) and 467 (forgery).”
Judicial Magistrate First Class Court AA Pande on Monday allowed the police to take custody of the accused teen’s father, currently lodged at the Yerawada Central Jail, in connection with the case of kidnapping and wrongful confinement of his driver.
The minor’s father, a prominent realtor, is already an accused in the case registered against him and the managers and owners of two pubs under the Juvenile Justice Act. The Pune police had moved an application for a production warrant of the builder in the kidnapping and wrongful confinement case.
“The court has allowed the application for the production warrant of the juvenile’s father, and he will be taken into custody from the jail,” said a Pune police officer.
JJ dean to lead probe into Sassoon docs
The state medical education department has appointed the dean of Sir JJ Group of Hospital, Dr Pallavi Saple, will head the committee probing lapses by the doctors of Sassoon hospital, Pune.
The state has also asked Dr Gajanan Chavan, professor of forensics at JJ, and Dr Sudhir Choudhari, officer on special duty, at Government Medical College, Sambhajinagar, to join the probe committee. All three will visit Sassoon hospital on Tuesday and conduct an inquiry.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) on Monday took suo moto cognisance and sent a notice to Dr Holnor and Dr Taware. Dr Vinky Rughwani, administrator, MMC said, “We are setting up an inquiry committee. Based on their replies and our inquiry, if we find them guilty, action will be taken against them.”
