According to the police on 28th May, the father of the minor involved in Porsche crash case and Dr. Ajay Taware from Sassoon government hospital were constantly in touch after the accident at Kalyani Nagar and it was only Dr. Ajay who suspected that blood samples could be exchanged.
The two people, Vishal Agarwal is a realtor as well as being father to teenager while Dr. Taware are currently under arrest regarding related cases following a car crash on May 19 which resulted into two IT professionals’ death caused by hitting them with his bike by a drunken 17-year-old boy.
A senior police officer said more than twelve phone calls passed between Vishal Agarwal and Dr. Tware after the accident.
The state-run hospital’s forensic medicine department head, Dr. Taware; chief medical officer, Dr.Halnor and Atul Ghatkamble are held by police for allegedly swapping away the blood sample of the minor taken after the accident and replacing it with other person’s sample without traces of alcohol inside.
As stated by another senior police official “Our focus is on two things: identifying whose blood samples were used to replace those of minor and identifying possible financial gain received or promised to Dr. Ajay Taware. It has come forth that there was total sum of three lakhs INR paid by Dr. Halnor who is CMO at casualty section and also third accused Ghatkamble towards changing blood samples.” They have been invoking Prevention of Corruption Act against doctors involved, he added.
“From where did he get ₹3 lakh? Was it from his pocket or some one had given him that?” asked an official wishing anonymity.
Dr.Ajay took responsibility for changing the blood samples saying “It never crossed anyone else’s mind that you can change blood samples. It was suggested by me [as].” “They (Agarwal &Taware) had the attitude that money can buy you anything,” added the official. The police would slap charges under Prevention of Corruption Act against the accused doctors, he said.
The committee visited Sassoon hospital during the day and met cops who are probing the case.
Dr. Pallavi Sapale, dean of Grant Medical College and J.J. group of hospitals heading the panel said “We will examine sequence of events after accident.” She added “Probe will be conducted as per rules and report will be sent to government.”
Sources further revealed that members from this committee have been in casualty department besides comprehending how blood samples are picked, preserved then sent to forensic science laboratory.
In another development Judicial Magistrate First Class A A Pande remanded builder Vishal Agarwal, father of teenager into custody till May 31 in a case where they were accused of forcing family’s driver to take blame for road crash so as to save boy from being culprits along with his father Surendra Agarwal.
Surendra Agarwal, grandfather to minor was arrested earlier in this matter for allegedly kidnapping driver and keeping him in illegal confinement. On May 28th Magistrate Pande extended his police custody till May 31st.
Juvenile Justice Act was invoked earlier with regard to Vishal Agarwal (50) who put the minor at risk by giving him a car.
The latter appeared 2025 in a 2023 letter from some local NCP MLA Sunil Tingre to the medical education minister of Maharashtra, Hasan Mushrif, recommending that Dr. Taware be given an additional responsibility of the superintendence of the hospital.
In the letter dated 26th December, 2023, Mr. Tingre said he knew Dr. Taware who had worked as superintendent and discharged his duties well during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Dr. Taware should be given an additional charge for a medical superintendent,” says the letter.
The letter also contained a handwritten note by Mr. Mushrif telling Sassoon Hospital’s dean to adjust Dr. Taware accordingly.
According to Mr. Mushrif’s note, under rules any person from professorial rank has got to be kept in mind for this position and hence, as per him, (then) medical superintendent doesn’t qualify.
On May 28th , Mr. Tingre said in a statement that there are many people coming up to me for requesting letters on recommendations because MLA am I and such letters that come out of my office will always contain something like action must be taken according to rules .
Questions were raised after it was discovered Sassoon that on May 19th accident at Yerawada police station Mr. Tingre had gone there. It is true that he had been at its premises, however police insisted that it did not affect investigations in anyway.
