The Aryavarth Express
Agency (Maharastra): In a shocking twist to the Pune Porsche crash case, it has been uncovered that the blood sample of the 17-year-old accused driver was swapped with his mother’s sample at Sassoon General Hospital. This revelation has intensified the controversy surrounding the tragic incident, which resulted in the deaths of two IT professionals.
Reports indicate that Dr. Shrihari Halnor, one of the accused doctors, along with his staff, was responsible for the blood sample tampering. Dr. Halnor confessed that he switched the blood samples on the orders of Dr. Ajit Tawade. The Pune Police informed the court that the juvenile’s blood samples were indeed replaced with those of a woman.
Prior to the blood sample collection, the accused teen’s father, Vishal Agarwal, a Pune-based builder, had communicated with Dr. Tawade through WhatsApp, FaceTime, and phone calls between 8:30 am and 10:40 am on May 19. The blood samples were taken at 11 am. The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report initially showed no alcohol in the first blood sample. However, a subsequent test at a different hospital, including DNA tests, confirmed that the samples were from two different individuals.
The Pune Crime Branch arrested Dr. Ajit Tawade and Dr. Shrihari Halnor, the Chief Medical Officer of Sassoon Hospital, for their involvement in the blood sample tampering. It was discovered that Dr. Ajay Taware, head of the hospital’s Forensic Medicine department, allegedly bribed Dr. Halnor with Rs 3 lakh, out of which Rs 2.5 lakh was recovered by the police. Both doctors have been suspended, and Dr. Halnor’s contract has been terminated.
During a press conference, Dr. Vinayak Kale, the hospital’s dean, mentioned receiving recommendations for Dr. Tawade’s appointment as the head of the Forensic Medicine Department from Minister Hasan Mushrif and Mr. Tingre. Following this, Dr. Kale was placed on compulsory leave by the Maharashtra government for failing to handle the case properly.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde assured that strict action would be taken regardless of the individuals’ influence or status. He emphasized that the law is equal for all and no one will be spared.