Porsche crash blood sample swap: Dr Taware visited Sassoon while on leave, says panel report

The Sassoon General Hospital probe conducted by three-member panel set up by the medical education department has found that Dr Ajay Taware visited the hospital while on leave

Pune: The Sassoon General Hospital (SGH) probe conducted by the three-member panel set up by the medical education department has found discrepancies in the summer vacation leave taken by Dr Ajay Taware, suspended professor and head of BJ Medical College (BJMC) forensic medicine department, said officials.

The Sassoon General Hospital probe conducted by three-member panel set up by the medical education department has found that Dr Ajay Taware (in pic) visited the hospital while on leave. (HT)

JJ Hospital dean Dr Pallavi Saple, who headed the panel, said, “According to the leave application letter of the BJMC department of forensic medicine dated May 25, Dr Taware was supposed to be on leave from May 2 to May 21. He was likely to resume office in the second half of May 22. However, as per the biometric records, Dr Taware resumed office on May 21.”

Dr Saple said that doctors on leave during summer vacation can cut short their absence from work and resume duties only after permission of the medical college dean as per the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) rules.

“Dr Taware called Sassoon’s casualty medical officer (CMO) Dr Srihari Halnor on May 19, while on leave, and told him to switch the blood samples of the juvenile accused with that of another person. On the last day of his leave, Dr Taware arrived at the medical facility’s forensic department without permission,” Pune police commissioner Amitesh Kumar had said earlier.

A senior officer from the medical education department, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “Professors and clinicians at medical colleges are asked to cut short leave and join office in case of emergency, critical cases, or complex and important procedures. However, it can only be done when the head of the respective department makes a special request and calls the person on leave to report to office. When the said officer is handling administrative work, permission from the dean of the college is mandatory as per MUHS rules.”

The Pune police on Monday had arrested Dr Taware, Dr Halnor and Class IV staffer Atul Ghatkamble for allegedly changing the blood samples of the minor involved in the Porsche car accident that claimed two lives at Kalyaninagar on May 19. The Maharashtra government on Wednesday suspended the two doctors and staffer of SGH.

Speaking at Kolhapur on Thursday, Hasan Mushrif, medical education minister, said, “According to the police, Dr Taware while on leave called Dr Halnor and asked him to swap the blood samples of the minor accused and took ₹3 lakh.”