Final Report Submitted in Pune Porsche Accident Case: Police Seek Action Against Minor for Conspiracy and Evidence Tampering
Reported by Tikam Shekhawat
Pune, 26th September 2024: The Pune Police have submitted the final supplementary report to the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) in connection with the high-profile Porsche car accident that resulted in the death of two IT engineers. The report reveals that the minor involved in the incident, along with his parents, conspired to tamper with key evidence by sending someone else’s blood for testing. The report also implicates Dr. Shrihari Halnor, who allegedly accepted a bribe to facilitate the cover-up.
In this case, where a minor was behind the wheel of a Porsche that led to the fatal accident on May 19 in Kalyani Nagar, charges have been filed against several individuals, including builder Vishal Surendra Kumar Agarwal, his wife Shivani Vishal Agarwal, Dr. Ajay Taware, Dr. Shrihari Halnor from Sassoon Hospital, Amar Gaikwad, Ashpak Makandar, and Atul Ghatakamble. The police are now seeking permission from the Juvenile Justice Board to prosecute the minor as a responsible adult under law.
The investigation revealed that after the accident, the blood samples of the minor and two others were switched to cover up evidence. The police report, submitted on 15th September, details how the minor, along with his parents, bribed Dr. Halnor, the Chief Medical Officer at Sassoon Hospital. The bribe was facilitated through Amar Gaikwad and Ashpak Makandar, allegedly under the guidance of Dr. Ajay Taware.
The report accuses the minor and the other involved parties of bribing Dr. Halnor to substitute the blood sample of the minor with that of Shivani Agarwal. Additionally, Dr. Halnor is accused of falsifying hospital records and the examination form to send the manipulated blood sample to the Forensic Science Laboratory for testing, thereby destroying the original evidence.
As per the investigation, Dr. Halnor accepted a bribe of Rs. three lakh to execute the tampering. The supplementary report lists charges under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including Section 304 (culpable homicide), Section 120B (criminal conspiracy), and several other sections relating to forgery, evidence tampering, and bribery. Additionally, charges under the Motor Vehicle Act, such as Sections 184, 199(a), and others, have also been filed.
The Juvenile Justice Board is scheduled to hear the application on 4th October, where a decision will be made regarding whether the minor will be prosecuted under the same laws as an adult. This decision is crucial, as it will determine the course of legal action against the minor for his role in the fatal accident and subsequent evidence tampering.
