Pune Porsche car crash: Retired IAS demands transfer of police commissioner; blood samples of other car passengers taken

In the Pune Porsche car accident case, retired IAS officer Arun Bhatia has written a letter to the Maharashtra Human Rights Commission (MHRC). He has demanded the transfer of Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar in connection with the accident. Bhatia has cited in his letter that top-level officials are engaged in destroying evidence to save the minor driver who killed two people. On the other hand, the police said that apart from the teenager in the car, blood samples of three other people have also been collected. Earlier in the day, a court was told that the blood sample of the teenager was replaced with that of a woman. Sources in the Maharashtra Public Health Department claimed that she was none other than the teenager's mother. A crime branch official said that on May 19, the teenager's father and mother were also present when blood samples of the other three people in the car were taken at the government hospital.

Let us tell you that on the morning of May 19, two IT engineers riding a bike were hit by a Porsche car in Kalyani Nagar, Pune. Both the engineers died in the accident. The 17-year-old minor driving the car was reportedly drunk. In this case, the minor has been sent to an observation home. At the same time, his father, realtor Vishal Agarwal, and grandfather Surendra Agarwal have been arrested for kidnapping the family driver and pressuring him to take the blame.

It is not just one officer who is evil here, the entire officialdom is like this

Now, in this case, retired IAS Bhatia has written a letter to the MHRC chairman and raised questions about the working style of the police administration. He said in his letter, I call for your intervention in this matter, as it has shocked us, and increased our insecurity. It has shown us the terrible face of our governance and democracy. Corrupt officials and oppressed citizens are now a part of everyday life. Since we have ignored it, corruption has now become widespread, unbearable, and institutionalized. It is not just one officer who is evil here, but the entire officialdom is like this. When there is this union of officials and departments get together, they become impenetrable. Against this opponent, an isolated citizen has no chance.

Police officers colluded to save criminal

Bhatia claimed that police officers and senior doctors, including the chief medical officer of Pune's biggest government hospital (Sassoon), have colluded to save a criminal. Police delayed taking blood samples for alcohol testing by more than six hours. Police fed him pizza at the police station before the blood test, then the sample was destroyed and replaced by doctors. Recording of witness statements was delayed. The culprits were provided time to plot their defense.

Bhatia claims - two politicians had reached the police station

Bhatia said that according to media reports, it was claimed earlier that there was no political pressure to save the doctors, but two politicians had reached the police station. It is also being reported that an IPS officer had called the blood test story a procedural lapse. Bhatia urged the MHRC chairman that the police commissioner should be immediately transferred out of Pune for a fair investigation. His conduct should be investigated, as he represents the police force in the city. At the same time, the appointment of a doctor as the Chief Medical Officer based on the recommendation of a politician should be investigated and the Health Secretary should be punished.

The results of other three samples also did not contain alcohol

On the other hand, a Crime Branch official said on Thursday that after the accident, the (Yerwada) police station had sent the teenager, his two friends who were with him in the car, and the (family) driver to Sasoon General Hospital to give blood samples. Out of these samples, the teenager's blood sample was swapped. The results of the other three samples also did not contain alcohol. The official said that we are investigating how their results also came negative. The ward where blood samples are collected has a CCTV camera installed. He said the teen's sample was taken only to be recorded under CCTV footage, but the woman's blood sample was taken at a place where there was no CCTV.

The police have arrested Dr. Ajay Tavare, the then head of the forensic medicine department at Sassoon Hospital, medical officer Dr. Srihari Halnor, and staffer Atul Ghatkamble for allegedly manipulating the blood samples to show that the teen was not drunk when the Porsche car crashed into the IT engineers' bike.