Police investigating the Pune Porsche crash case submitted in a court on Thursday that the blood sample of the minor accused as well as the person whose blood was swapped with the boy’s before sending it to a lab for alcohol testing had been taken at an area outside CCTV coverage.
Prosecution lawyer Nitin Konge told the court that blood samples were deliberately drawn at a place in Sassoon hospital which is not covered by the CCTV cameras.
“We also need to locate and seize the seal of the minor’s name put on the replaced blood sample sent for testing,” the lawyer submitted.
We also need to identify the property accumulated by the accused persons from indulging in corrupt practices,” the ACP said.
Blood samples of two of the minor boy’s friends who had been in the car were also swapped with samples drawn from some other people, the sources revealed to The Indian Express.
Police investigating the Pune Porsche crash case submitted in a court on Thursday that the blood sample of the minor accused as well as the person whose blood was swapped with the boy’s before sending it to a lab for alcohol testing had been taken at an area outside CCTV coverage.
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The minor boy on May 19 was allegedly driving the Porsche at high speed under the influence of alcohol when the car crashed into two software engineers who were on a bike. They died in the crash.
The minor boy was detained, while his father and grandfather were arrested in three separate FIRs lodged by the Pune city police in connection with the Porsche car accident.
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The focus of this case soon shifted to the involvement of two doctors and a class IV staffer from B J Government Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital for allegedly throwing the minor’s blood sample in the dustbin and replacing it with a blood sample of another person, who is now learnt to be his mother.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Sunil Tambe of crime branch produced Dr Sunil Taware, the former head of the forensic department of Sassoon Hospital, Dr Shrihari Harnol, who was the casualty medical officer at the time, and a Class IV employee Atul Ghatkamble seeking a seven day extension of the remand. Special Judge PP Jadhav extended the police remand until June 5.
While seeking extension in custody of the accused, Tambe told the court that the syringe used (by Dr Harnol) to draw the blood from the minor wasn’t thrown in the dustbin but it was handed over to a yet to be identified person.
Prosecution lawyer Nitin Konge told the court that blood samples were deliberately drawn at a place in Sassoon hospital which is not covered by the CCTV cameras. “We also need to locate and seize the seal of the minor’s name put on the replaced blood sample sent for testing,” the lawyer submitted.
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The police further submitted that they had thus far recovered Rs 3 lakh from the accused—Rs 50,000 from Ghatkamble, Rs 2.5 lakh from Halnor—and therefore invoked section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act in the case.
“There have been many WhatsApp and regular calls among the accused as well as some other persons. We need to identify the other persons involved in the crime and hence need custodial interrogation. We also need to identify the property accumulated by the accused persons from indulging in corrupt practices,” the ACP said.
Prosecution lawyer said the police also needed to collect the handwriting samples of the accused.
Defence lawyers Vipul Dushing, Rhishikesh Ganu and Ruturaj Ranaware opposed further police custody for the accused. Advocate Dushing argued that Dr Taware was not at the spot (where the blood samples were allegedly replaced) and that it was normal that he and his colleague (Dr Harnol) communicated over phone as they work together.
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While the police have not formally disclosed the identity of the person whose blood was swapped with that of the minor accused, highly placed government officials have confirmed that the blood belonged to the minor boy’s mother.
Blood samples of two of the minor boy’s friends who had been in the car were also swapped with samples drawn from some other people, the sources revealed to The Indian Express.
Meanwhile, the police told the court on Thursday they want to confront the accused persons with the minor’s father, who is currently in police custody for the case lodged by a private driver employed by the family for the Porsche car. Minor’s father and grandfather were arrested by the police for allegedly kidnapping the driver and forcing him to take the blame for the May 19 accident.
Police would produce the minor’s father before the court on May 31.
