Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar addresses students during a special public awareness program under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan at Modern College on Wednesday. Express photographs by Arul Horizon
The Pune Porsche crash case in May 2024 exposed systemic corruption in the city, said Amitesh Kumar, Commissioner of Police, Wednesday.
Speaking at an awareness event organised by Modern College of Arts, Science, and Commerce under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, Kumar said, “The Porsche case happened in the previous year, we all know about it. Many things were said: Pune’s culture has been ruined, Pune police and society are corrupt, etc. But in all this criticism, one good thing emerged. Whatever systemic corruption was present there, it got exposed.”
On May 19, 2024, a 17-year-old boy, allegedly under the influence of alcohol, crashed a Porsche while driving at high speed in Pune, resulting in the deaths of two IT professionals on a motorcycle. The investigation that followed revealed attempts to tamper with evidence, including the swapping of blood samples.
Kumar said the police investigation exposed the “complete racket” that had changed the blood samples.
The blood samples of the minor, collected at Sassoon General Hospital, were allegedly swapped with his mother’s to show that he was not drunk. The police arrested the minor’s parents, two doctors, and a hospital staff member for their involvement in the sample swapping.
While it is true that the probe brought to light alleged cover-ups in the case, the police also not covered themselves in glory in the case. In fact, the conduct of police officers at the Yerwada police station, where the accused was taken after the accident, had also come under heavy fire at the time.
The police initially invoked Indian Penal Code Section 304A (causing death by negligence), a “weaker section”, and later changed it to IPC 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder).
Story continues below this ad
The late collection of blood samples for alcohol testing, along with the involvement of then MLA Sunil Tingre, raised allegations of “VIP treatment”. As a result, two police officers were suspended.
‘Say no to alcohol and tobacco’ Highlighting the danger of alcohol usage in minors and how it can uproot whole families, Kumar said, “The boy who allegedly caused the accident was 17 years old, and he got relief and is out. But his mother was in jail for 14 months. His father has been in jail for the last 17-18 months. The doctors and staff of the Sassoon Hospital have also been in jail for 18 months.”
“Due to that boy’s fault, and because the parents tried to help him, they all went to jail. Due to one mistake, the whole family has been destroyed,” he added.
Kumar spoke out against tobacco and drug addiction, saying that student support is crucial for reducing addictive substances.
He said no tobacco shops are allowed to operate within 100 yards of educational institutions. “If there are any such shops within 100 yards of your institute, please get in touch with the police, and they will help in removing them. And I give you the right to stage a protest at the commissioner’s office and refuse to go to college until it is removed if the police do not remove it. With such a positive pressure group, a revolution is required.”
Soham Shah is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Pune. A journalism graduate with a background in fact-checking, he brings a meticulous and research-oriented approach to his current reporting.
Professional Background
Role: Correspondent coverig education and city affairs in Pune.
Specialization: His primary beat is education, but he also maintains a strong focus on civic issues, public health, human rights, and state politics.
Key Strength: Soham focuses on data-driven reporting on school and college education, government reports, and public infrastructure.
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
His late 2025 work highlights a transition from education-centric reporting to hard-hitting investigative and human-rights stories:
1. Investigations & Governance
"Express Impact: Mother's name now a must to download birth certificate from PMC site" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant policy change by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) following his earlier reports on gender inclusivity in administrative documents.
"44-Acre Mahar Land Controversy: In June, Pune official sought land eviction at Pawar son firm behest" (Nov 9, 2025): An investigative piece on real estate irregularities involving high-profile political families.
2. Education & Campus Life
Faculty crisis at SPPU hits research, admin work: 62% of govt-sanctioned posts vacant, over 75% in many depts (Sept 12, 2025): An investigative piece on professor vacancies at Savitribai Phule Pune University.
"Maharashtra’s controversial third language policy: Why National Curriculum Framework recommends a third language from Class 6" (July 2): This detailed piece unpacks reasons behind why the state's move to introduce a third language from class 1 was controversial.
"Decline in number of schools, teachers in Maharashtra but student enrolment up: Report" (Jan 2025): Analyzing discrepancies in the state's education data despite rising student numbers.
3. Human Rights & Social Issues
"Aanchal Mamidawar was brave after her family killed her boyfriend" (Dec 17, 2025): A deeply personal and hard-hitting opinion piece/column on the "crime of love" and honor killings in modern India.
"'People disrespect the disabled': Meet the man who has become face of racist attacks on Indians" (Nov 29, 2025): A profile of a Pune resident with severe physical deformities who became the target of global online harassment, highlighting issues of disability and cyber-bullying.
Signature Style
Soham is known for his civil-liberties lens. His reporting frequently champions the rights of the marginalized—whether it's students fighting for campus democracy, victims of regressive social practices, or residents struggling with crumbling urban infrastructure (as seen in his "Breathless Pune" contributions). He is adept at linking hyper-local Pune issues to larger national conversations about law and liberty.
X (Twitter): @SohamShah07 ... Read More
