Pune Porsche Case: Three Lakh Rupees Bribe Paid At Juvenile Justice Board Premises
Pune, 8th June 2024: Investigation has revealed that accused Ashfaq Makandar handed over three lakh rupees to Atul Ghatkamble, a peon at Sassoon Hospital, on the premises of the Juvenile Justice Board in Yerwada. This transaction, allegedly carried out at the behest of Dr. Ajay Taware and Dr. Shrihari Halnor, was captured on CCTV footage obtained by the police. The bribe money was paid to change the blood sample of the teenager so that alcohol is not detected.
The incident traces back to a tragic accident on May 19 in Kalyaninagar, where two IT engineers Aneesh Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta lost their lives in a late-night collision with a speeding car. The son of builder businessman Vishal Agarwal was detained in connection with this accident. In an attempt to shield their son, Vishal Agarwal and his wife Shivani reportedly sought the assistance of Dr. Ajay Taware from Sassoon Hospital’s Department of Forensic Medicine.
According to the investigation, Dr. Taware instructed Dr. Halnor to alter the minor’s blood sample to eliminate any trace of alcohol. It was discovered that Shivani Agarwal provided her own blood for the sample to protect her son.
The probe revealed that the Agarwal couple paid substantial amounts of money to Dr. Taware and Dr. Halnor, facilitated through peon Ghatkamble. A sum of fifty thousand rupees was recovered from Ghatkamble, and two and a half lakh rupees were seized from Dr. Halnor. The entire financial transaction was orchestrated by Dr. Taware.
The pivotal moment occurred on May 19, when Ghatkamble received three lakh rupees from Ashfaq Makandar within the premises of the Juvenile Justice Board in Yerwada. This handover, captured by CCTV cameras, showed Makandar arriving on a bike and placing the money in the bike’s trunk.
The police have seized the CCTV footage as evidence, intensifying the scrutiny of those involved. The scandal has raised serious questions about corruption and malpractice within the medical and law enforcement sectors, demanding thorough investigations and stringent actions against the perpetrators.