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This is an archive article published on June 14, 2024

Porsche car crash: Cops probe ‘important meeting’ between accused on changing minor’s blood samples

Court sends minor’s parents to judicial custody

Pune Porsche car crashPolice had arrested Makandar and his aide Amar Gaikwad of Yerwada on June 4 for allegedly acting as middlemen between the father of the accused minor boy who was driving the Porsche car and the Sassoon Hospital doctors for the swapping of the minor’s blood sample. (File)

The city police is probing into an ‘important meeting’ held between the accused persons for ‘destroying evidence’ by changing the blood samples of the minor boy who was driving the Porsche car that had knocked down two engineers last month.

Police made a submission in this regard before the special court on Friday while seeking an extension in the custody of accused Ashpak Makandar (36), a resident of Dhanori.

Police had arrested Makandar and his aide Amar Gaikwad of Yerwada on June 4 for allegedly acting as middlemen between the father of the accused minor boy who was driving the Porsche car and the Sassoon Hospital doctors for the swapping of the minor’s blood sample.

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Gaikwad is currently in judicial custody. Assistant commissioner of police Satish Govekar of crime branch produced Makandar along with the minor’s parents before the court in the afternoon.

Additional public prosecutor Anil Kumbhar sought judicial custody for the minor’s parents and an extension in Makandar’s police custody by three days for further investigation.

Police told the court that Makandar was not co-operating in the investigation. Police said they want to probe Makandar further about an important meeting between the accused persons regarding changing the minor’s blood samples and providing help (to the minor and his family) in legal procedures. Police told the court they want to find out where this meeting took place and who all were present for it.

But special judge U M Mudholkar remanded Makandar and the minor’s parents to judicial custody for 14 days.

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Two IT engineers, Aneesh Awadhiya and his friend Ashwini Koshta, both 24 and from Madhya Pradesh, were killed after a speeding Porsche car driven by a 17-and-a-half-year-old boy in an inebriated state hit their motorcycle at Pune’s Kalyani Nagar junction around 2.30 am on May 19.

An FIR was lodged against the minor car driver at Yerwada police station on the same day. The boy was then taken to the Sassoon hospital for medical examination, where his blood sample was allegedly replaced with his mother’s blood.

Police arrested his father, mother, along with Dr Ajay Taware, the former head of the forensic department of Sassoon Hospital, Dr Shrihari Harnol, who was the casualty medical officer at the time, and a Class IV employee Atul Ghatkamble, for allegedly changing the minor’s blood sample by taking financial favours. The trio have since been placed under suspension and are currently in judicial custody.

The police had further arrested Makandar and Gaikwad in the case. Police said Makandar took Rs 4 lakh from the minor’s father and gave it to the Sassoon staffers for changing blood samples. Police said they have recovered Rs 2.5 lakh from Dr Halnor, Rs 50,000 from Ghatkamble.

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Police told the court that Makandar has not provided any information about the remaining Rs 1 lakh, which is yet to be recovered.

Police also told the court that a technical investigation and analysis of CCTV videos have revealed that following the Porsche car crash, Makandar was present at the accident spot, Yerwada police station, Sassoon hospital and also in the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) premises.

Police also said that a probe was on to know whether any communication was made with Dr Taware during the meeting held before the minor’s medical test, between Makandar and his parents.

Meanwhile, the JJB on Wednesday granted further 14-day extension to the observation home remand of the minor boy. Police said his parents would now be lodged in Yerwada jail.


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