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The Pune police, on Monday, arrested two doctors of the Sassoon General Hospital on charges of manipulating the blood sample of the 17-year-old Pune teen involved in the death of two IT professionals.
The accident had taken place around 2.15 am on May 19 in the Kalyani Nagar area, when the minor at the wheels of a Porsche crashed into a motorcycle, killing Anis Awadhiya and Ashwini Costa.
Pune police commissioner Amitesh Kumar said the minor had been celebrating his Class 12 results at a nearby pub, where he was seen consuming alcohol before the collision.
The police have charged the minor with rash and negligent driving and causing harm by endangering life or personal safety under IPC Sections 304A, 279, 337, 338, and 427, as well as relevant sections of the Maharashtra Motor Vehicle Act. On May 21, the police invoked Section 185 of the Motor Vehicle Act (MVA), relating to the offence of driving under the influence of alcohol, against the teen. Following the accident, the Pune Police arrested the father of the teen, Vishal Agarwal, from Aurangabad in Maharashtra.
Police commissioner Kumar said Dr Ajay Taware, head of the forensics department at Sassoon Hospital, and Dr Shrihari Harnor, chief medical officer were arrested for manipulating blood reports and tampering with evidence in the Pune Porsche crash case.
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The arrest of the doctors came shortly after an inspector and another official from the Yerwada police station were suspended for negligence in their duties.
Among the allegations against them is failure to promptly take the teenager for a medical examination from the accident site.
Delayed blood test
The police conducted the blood sample test of the teen at 11 am, more than eight hours after the fatal accident, the police commissioner said.
“After the accident, the police team was busy handling the situation and the crowd. But yes, there was a delay in conducting the blood sample test," Kumar had said.
Evidence of alcohol consumption
The police said they have evidence indicating alcohol consumption by the minor. This came from CCTV footage and receipts from two restaurants where the boy, the son of a real estate developer, consumed alcohol prior to the accident.
Pune teen in remand home till June 5
On Wednesday, the Juvenile Justice Board of Pune sent the accused teen to an observation home till June 5.
There was massive outrage after the board, on May 19, granted bail to the minor boy. It was on conditions that included mandatory counselling, participation in a de-addiction programme, and a requirement to write a 300-word essay on road safety.
Following the accident on Sunday, the police submitted an application to the Juvenile Justice Board to consider trying the teen as an adult. After the initial application was turned down, they have now approached the Pune district court. The court, however, has referred the matter back to the board to be reconsidered in accordance with the Juvenile Justice Act.
Pune police arrests teen's grandfather
On Saturday, the Pune police arrested the grandfather of the 17-year-old teen for putting pressure on the family's driver to take blame for the accident by offering him money and giving threats.
Surendra Agarwal was arrested for “illegal confinement” of the driver, and a court subsequently remanded him to police custody till May 28.
The police commissioner said the grandfather offered to pay the driver “any amount he quoted.”
(With agency inputs)
