Pune Porsche crash: Teenager's parents and another accused sent to 14-day judicial custody
A Pune court remanded the parents of a minor accused, Vishal and Shivani Agrawal, and middleman Ashpak Makandar to 14-day judicial custody for allegedly tampering with blood samples in a fatal crash case. The case involves a minor driving a Porsche, leading to two deaths. The investigation revealed bribery and manipulation of evidence.
FollowParents of a minor accused, Vishal Agrawal and Shivani Agrawal, along with middleman Ashpak Makandar, were remanded to 14 days of judicial custody by a Pune court on Friday. This decision follows a new twist in the case with the release of CCTV footage implicating an employee of Sassoon General Hospital in a scheme to tamper with the juvenile driver's blood samples.
The police have identified Ashpak Makandar as the middleman who allegedly handed over a bribe to hospital employee Atul Ghatkamble. Sources from Times Now revealed that a meeting to manipulate the blood sample and destroy evidence took place between the Agrawal couple and Makandar. The police are investigating the timing of this meeting and whether Dr Ajay Taware, the Head of the Department of Forensic Medicine at Sassoon General Hospital, was also involved.
Pune Porsche accident: FSL report REVEALS teen's blood sample was replaced with his mother
The bribe, reportedly amounting to Rs 3 lakh, was allegedly exchanged at the premises of the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB). Ghatkamble, along with the hospital's suspended forensics department head, Dr. Ajay Taware, and former casualty medical officer, Dr. Shrihari Halnor, were previously arrested for allegedly tampering with the minor's blood samples.
The investigation revealed that the minor's blood sample was initially collected on May 19 at Sassoon General Hospital, shortly after the incident. Suspicion regarding the sample's authenticity led authorities to obtain another sample at Aundh Government Hospital. Later, a third blood sample from the juvenile's father was taken for DNA matching, confirming manipulation in the initial sample.
Pune Porsche crash case: Police book teen's father, grandfather in suicide abetment case
What was the case?
The fatal incident occurred on May 19 in Pune's Kalyani Nagar area when the minor, driving a Porsche at a reported speed of 160 mph, collided with a motorcycle, resulting in the deaths of techies Anis Awadhiya and Ashwini Costa.
Further investigations revealed that the teenager, the son of a prominent builder, had hosted a party to celebrate his Class 12 results. The group consumed alcohol at various restaurants and engaged in night-time driving activities.
Pune Porsche accident: Teen admits he was drunk on night of crash, says report
The police have filed three separate cases related to the incident: one for the accident itself, another against a pub for allegedly serving liquor to the minor, and a case against the accused's father for permitting him to drive without a valid licence. Additionally, a case has been registered regarding the wrongful confinement and coercion of the family driver to take the blame for the accident, leading to the arrest of the accused's grandfather.
Meanwhile, the Juvenile Justice Board has extended the accused's observation home remand until June 25 to facilitate ongoing investigations. Authorities assert that releasing the teenager at this juncture could impede progress in the case.
