2 doctors arrested for manipulating Porsche teenager's blood report: sources

Pune:

In the latest twist in the Pune Porsche horror, two doctors have been arrested for allegedly manipulating the blood test report of the 17-year-old, whose late night drunken driving claimed the lives of two 24-year-old software engineers, sources said.

Dr Ajay Tawade and Dr Hari Harnor of Sasoon Hospital were arrested by the Pune crime branch, which is investigating the case which has sparked national outrage. Dr Tawade heads the forensic laboratory at the Pune Government Hospital. The phones of the two doctors were seized. Investigation revealed that Dr Tawade and the father of the accused teenager spoke on the phone on the day of the accident, according to police sources.

Earlier, reports had claimed that the Pune teenager, who is now in an observation home, had tested negative for alcohol. However, CCTV footage from one of the bars he visited that evening showed him drinking with friends.

Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar earlier said, “This case is not about an accident in which a mistake occurred under the influence of alcohol and people died. Our case is that he knew perfectly well that his conduct…he partied at two bars, recklessly drove a car without a license plate on a narrow, busy street. He was fully reasonable and he knew that people could die because of his actions. The city's police chief also said that two blood samples from the accused teenager were analyzed at different times after the accident to ensure accurate results.

According to police sources, the first blood sample did not contain alcohol, but the second did. This aroused suspicion and a DNA test was carried out. DNA testing revealed that the samples came from different people, meaning the minor's blood sample was switched with that of another person to ensure his report did not mention alcohol.

The teenager belongs to the family of a prominent real estate agent and it is believed that his father and grandfather tried to influence the legal process to protect him. The teenager's father was arrested under the Juvenile Justice Act. His grandfather was also arrested after the family's driver claimed he was confined to the family home, threatened and asked to take responsibility for the accident. The other arrests in this case involve staff at the two bars the teen visited that night. The doctors' arrest and allegations of tampering with blood samples further strengthen the accusation that the family blatantly used money and influence to protect the teenager.

Two engineers – Ashwini Kostha and Anish Awadhiya – were on the bike when the Porsche hit their bike from behind. They died instantly. The boy was released on bail within 15 hours of the accident, in conditions considered fragile. He was asked to write a 300-word essay on road accidents, told to work with traffic police for 15 days and to seek advice on his alcohol consumption.

Amid national outrage, the Juvenile Justice Board later changed the order and sent him to the observation home. Police have asked the commission for permission to try the accused teenager – aged 17 years and eight months – as an adult. The matter is currently under study. The families of the two engineers said it was a “murder and not an accident” and demanded strict punishment against the accused.