As a new development in the case, the Maharashtra government has formed a three-member committee subsequent to the arrest of two doctors and a staff member from Sassoon General Hospital in Pune. They have been apprehended in connection with the alleged manipulation of a blood sample from a juvenile driver involved in a Porsche car accident. On Monday, Medical Education Commissioner Rajiv Nivatkar issued an order appointing Dr. Pallavi Sapale, the dean of Grant Medical College and J.J. Group of Hospitals, as the chairperson of the committee. The other members of the committee are Dr. Gajanan Chavan, a professor in the forensic medicine department at Grant Medical College, and Dr. Sudhir Chowdhary, who serves as a Special Duty Officer at Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar Government Medical College and Super Speciality Hospital.
The committee is scheduled to visit Pune on Tuesday. The commissioner has also instructed Dr. Vinayak Kale, Dean of Sassoon General Hospital, to cooperate with the committee’s investigation, according to the order.
Pune Police have arrested Dr. Ajay Taware, head of Sassoon Hospital’s Forensic Medicine department, Dr. Shrihari Halnor, the chief medical officer, and Atul Ghatkamble, a staffer under Dr. Taware. They have been remanded in police custody until May 30.
Earlier, on May 25, the crime branch detained grandfather of the minor accused in this case. After his arrest, a separate FIR against him was registered under section 365 and 368.
Previously, the teenager’s bail was revoked, and he was sent to a remand home. His father was arrested for allowing him to drive without a license, while the owners of the bars were arrested for serving liquor illegally to the teen. Conflicting reports suggest the teenager’s father has claimed the driver was driving at the time of the accident.