Pune Porsche Crash Case: Supreme Court Releases Three on Bail After 18 Months in Jail
New Delhi/Pune, 2nd February 2026: The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to three men accused of facilitating the manipulation of blood samples in the 2024 Pune Porsche crash case that killed two young software engineers. The Court observed that the accused had already spent around 18 months in custody and that further incarceration was not justified at this stage.
A Bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan ordered the release on bail of Aditya Sood, Ashish Mittal and Santosh Gaikwad, directing that they be produced before the trial court and freed subject to conditions. The judges warned that any violation of bail terms would lead to immediate cancellation.
The top court noted that even the juvenile driver — who allegedly caused the accident — faces a maximum punishment of three years under the law, and is being tried before the Juvenile Justice Board. In that context, the Bench said prolonged detention of the three accused would cause serious prejudice to them.
The Bombay High Court had earlier refused bail to the trio in December 2025, citing concerns that their financial influence could be used to pressure witnesses and obstruct the trial. It had observed that several key witnesses, including hospital staff and drivers, were dependent on or connected to the accused.
The case arises from a fatal crash that occurred around 2.30 am on May 19, 2024, in Pune’s Kalyani Nagar area. A Porsche car, allegedly driven by a minor under the influence of alcohol, rammed into a motorcycle, killing 24-year-old software professionals Aneesh Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta from Madhya Pradesh.
Investigators later alleged that the juvenile’s father, businessman Vishal Agarwal, his family members and associates entered into a conspiracy with hospital staff at Sassoon General Hospital to alter the blood test results of the driver and others present in the car. The prosecution claims ₹3 lakh was paid through intermediaries to ensure the samples showed no traces of alcohol.
Ashish Mittal, a Pune-based businessman and friend of the juvenile’s father, is accused of giving his own blood sample in place of another minor who was in the vehicle. Aditya Sood, also a businessman, is alleged to have done the same for his son, who was a rear-seat passenger.
Santosh Gaikwad is accused of acting as a middleman who delivered the bribe money to hospital staff.
All three have been in jail for over a year. In their appeals before the Supreme Court, they argued that the investigation is complete, charge sheets have been filed, and their continued custody serves no purpose.
Mittal claimed he was not present at the accident site and had no role in any conspiracy. He also told the Court that he suffers from serious heart ailments and has faced medical emergencies while in jail. Sood stated that he had only complied with hospital directions as the parent of a detained minor and that his son is a witness in the case, not an accused.
Gaikwad maintained that the allegations against him are exaggerated and unsupported by direct evidence.
The Supreme Court accepted the arguments that further detention was disproportionate, especially given the stage of the trial and the limited punishment prescribed under the law.
Senior Advocates Mukul Rohatgi, Siddhartha Dave and Siddharth Agarwal, along with advocate Sana Raees Khan, appeared for the accused. Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan represented the father of one of the victims.
Mittal was also represented by advocate Anand Dilip Landge, Dhvani Shah, Adv Aditya Dewan and Adv Shradha Ladda. Sood was also represented by advocates Shakti Pandey, Abid Mulani and Divya Anand.
Gaikwad was also represented by Advocates Sana Raees Khan, Pranay Chitale and Aditya Dutta.
