Pune: In a significant development in the Pune Porsche crash case, new details have emerged revealing that Dr. Ajay Taware, head of the state-run Sassoon Hospital’s forensic medicine department, had at least 14 phone conversations with Vishal Agarwal, father of the accused teenager, prior to the blood test.
Authorities suspect that these calls were made to orchestrate the alleged tampering of blood samples. The conversations reportedly occurred during the crucial period when the samples were being collected for testing.
Dr. Taware, along with Chief Medical Officer Dr. Shrihari Halnor and staff member Atul Ghatkamble, has been arrested on charges of discarding the minor’s blood samples taken after the accident on May 19 and substituting them with samples from another individual, which showed no traces of alcohol.
The incident involved a Porsche driven by a 17-year-old boy, which collided with a motorcycle, killing two IT professionals in the early hours of May 19 in Pune’s Kalyani Nagar area. The blood report is a pivotal piece of evidence as the police assert that the teenager had visited two pubs before the crash.
According to officials, the first call between Taware and Agarwal occurred around 8:45 AM, followed by 14 additional calls until 11 AM. These conversations were conducted via WhatsApp, Facetime, and regular phone calls.
Dr. Ajay Taware’s Residence Searched
During a search of Dr. Taware’s residence, Pune police recovered documents related to previous cases under investigation. Sources indicate that the police are probing the amount promised or given to Taware by the Agarwal family.
Moreover, the staff at Sassoon Hospital has reportedly lodged complaints with the vigilance committee, alleging that Dr. Taware often instructed employees to procure alcohol for the hospital.
A three-member committee investigating the alleged manipulation of the juvenile driver’s blood samples visited Sassoon General Hospital on Tuesday. They met with police officials involved in the case and examined the procedures for blood sample collection, preservation, and dispatch to the forensic science laboratory.
This investigation continues to unravel critical details about the events leading up to the tragic accident and the subsequent actions taken by those involved.
