In the Pune Porsche crash case, police investigations revealed significant irregularities regarding the handling of blood samples for alcohol testing. According to reports submitted in court, both the blood sample of the minor accused and the individual whose blood was exchanged with the boy’s were taken in an area lacking CCTV coverage.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Sunil Tambe presented Dr Sunil Taware, the former head of the forensic department at Sassoon Hospital, Dr Shrihari Harnol, the casualty medical officer at the time, and Atul Ghatkamble, a Class IV employee, seeking an extension of their police remand. The court granted the extension until June 5.
Tambe informed the court that the syringe used to draw blood from the minor was not disposed of as usual but handed over to an unidentified person. Additionally, the blood samples were intentionally collected in an area without CCTV coverage. Investigation revealed that the sample sent for testing, instead of the minor’s, belonged to a woman. The police aim to identify the person who received the blood sample and seize the seal placed on the sample intended for testing as the minor’s.
The police also disclosed that they recovered Rs 3 lakh from the accused, invoking section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act due to financial discrepancies. The investigation uncovered numerous calls between the accused and other individuals, prompting the need for custodial interrogation to identify additional involved parties and trace illicitly acquired property.
Additional Public Prosecutor Nitin Konghe stated the intention to arrest the minor’s father, who had been in communication with Dr Taware, for further questioning. Defence lawyers opposed the remand request, arguing that sufficient time had been given for police interrogation.
While the identity of the individual whose blood was swapped with the minor’s remains undisclosed by the police, government officials confirmed it belonged to the minor’s mother. Additionally, blood samples from two friends of the minor who were in the car were also reportedly swapped with samples from other individuals.