Blood Sample Tampering Scandal in Pune Porsche Crash

A committee investigates alleged tampering of evidence in a Porsche crash involving a juvenile driver. Head of forensic medicine Dr. Ajay Taware and two others were arrested for replacing the driver's blood samples, which initially showed alcohol traces. Two IT professionals lost their lives in the accident.

A three-member committee conducting inquiry into alleged manipulation of the blood samples of the juvenile driver involved in the Porsche car crash visited the Sassoon General Hospital here on Tuesday.

Police have arrested Dr Ajay Taware, head of the state-run hospital's forensic medicine department, chief medical officer Dr Shrihari Halnor and staff member Atul Ghatkamble in connection with the incident.

''We will examine the sequence of events after the accident. The probe will be conducted as per the rules and a report will be submitted to the government,'' said Dr Pallavi Sapale, dean of the Grant Medical College and J J group of hospitals who is heading the panel. Two IT professionals in their 20s were killed after their motorcycle was hit by a speeding Porsche, allegedly driven by a 17-year-old, in the early hours of May 19 in Kalyani Nagar area here. According to police, the teenager was drunk at the time.

On Monday, police claimed that his blood samples were discarded and replaced with another person's samples which showed no traces of alcohol. Dr Taware and the other two were arrested in this connection.