Pune Porsche car crash: Minor’s father, grandfather may threaten witnesses if granted bail: Police to court

Two IT engineers Aneesh Awadhiya and his friend Ashwini Koshta, both 24 years old and from Madhya Pradesh, were killed after a speeding Porsche car, allegedly 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.

Assistant public prosecutor Yogesh Kadam told the court that the complainant driver is an important witness in the Porsche car accident case. Kadam said that the driver and a few more witnesses in this case were working with the accused persons, so if they are released on bail, they may “threaten and influence” them. Kadam also argued that if released on bail, the accused may interfere in the investigation, tamper with evidence and run away from the country.

Police said there were four more persons in the car, including the minor’s friends and a driver employed by his family. Based on a complaint filed by the 42-year-old driver, the police had lodged a first information report (FIR) of kidnapping and wrongful confinement against the minor’s father and grandfather, who are both prominent realtors in Pune city.

As per the FIR, after the accident, the grandfather of the minor boy allegedly kidnapped the driver in a BMW car and took him to their bungalow on the intervening night of May 19 and May 20.

Here the minor’s grandfather and father allegedly confined the driver and forced him to take the blame for the Porsche car accident. They also promised a “gift” to the driver if he told the police that he was driving the Porsche. The driver’s wife reached the minor’s home, created a ruckus and took him away with her.

Police had arrested the minor’s grandfather on May 25 and father on May 27 in this case under sections 342, 365, 506, 34 of the Indian Penal Code. They filed applications seeking bail through their lawyer Prashant Patil on June 4. Crime branch filed its say opposing the bail applications before judicial magistrate first class (JMFC) N S Bari on June 26.

Police said an investigation in the case was underway as a forensic report of the clothes of the complainant driver, which were seized from the bungalow of the accused, is awaited. Police also told the court that both accused are booked in about five offences each and appear to have a criminal tendency.

The accused persons claimed they had not kidnapped the driver and he had gone to the servant’s quarters inside their bungalow. THe court is likely to pass an order on the bail applications on July 1.

Three FIRs related to the Porsche car crash case have been lodged at the Yerwada police station. The first FIR was lodged against the accused minor at Yerwada police station on the day of the accident.

Police said after the accident, the boy was taken to Sassoon hospital for a medical examination, where his blood sample was allegedly replaced and his mother’s blood was sent to the forensic lab in his name.

Police then 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.

two “middlemen” Ashpak Basha Makandar of Dhanori and Amar Santosh Gaikwad of Yerawada in this case. Police said Makandar took Rs 4 lakh from the minor’s father at a hotel in Kalyani Nagar 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.

Police are trying to recover the remaining Rs 1 lakh.

While the minor has been released from the observation home following a Bombay High Court order, the other accused are under judicial custody at the Yerwada jail.

Dr Taware has filed a bail application before the special court in Pune. Police today filed say opposing Taware’s bail plea before special judge U M Mudholkar. Next hearing in this case is scheduled on July 1.

In the second FIR related to the Porsche car crash, police had arrested the father along with the owner, managers of the two restaurants where his minor son had allegedly consumed liquor before the accident. Court has granted bail to all accused in this case.