Pune Porsche Incident: DNA Confirms Mother’s Blood Sample Used to Protect Drunk Minor
Pune, 5th June 2024: In the ongoing case related to the fatal accident in Kalyani Nagar involving a drunk minor, a significant development has emerged. The DNA report of Shivani Agarwal, the mother of the accused minor, has confirmed that her blood sample was surreptitiously used to replace the minor’s sample at Sassoon Hospital.
The incident, which occurred in Kalyani Nagar, has continued to unravel startling revelations. Dr. Ajay Taware, Dr. Shrihari Halnor, and Sassoon Hospital’s peon, Atul Ghatkamble, were implicated in swapping the minor’s blood sample to shield him from legal consequences for driving under the influence (DUI). It was previously suspected that the substituted sample belonged to the minor’s mother, a suspicion now verified by Shivani Agarwal’s DNA report. Consequently, Dr. Taware, Dr. Halnor, and Peon Ghatkamble as well as minor’s mother has been arrested.
The original blood sample was crucial for determining the minor’s level of intoxication at the time of the accident. However, the Sassoon Hospital staff discarded this vital evidence and replaced it with the mother’s sample.
The court has extended police custody of the minor’s parents till June 10 while the custody of doctors and staff of Sassoon Hospital has been extended till June 7.
The police petitioned the Pune Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) for a 14-day extension regarding the minor accused. Initially, the JJB granted the minor bail within 15 hours of the accident, subject to simple disciplinary conditions such as composing a 300-word essay. This decision drew widespread national attention and criticism. Subsequently, the bail was revoked, and the minor was ordered to be held in a remand home for boys until today, 5th June. With the police now seeking an extension, there is a possibility of prolonging the minor’s stay. Assistant Commissioner of Police Sunil Tambe has made the formal request to the JJB which extended custody of minor till June 12. The minor will remain in observation home.
Under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act of 2015, it is mandatory to submit all documents related to a crime to the JJB within a month of its registration. With more than 16 days having elapsed since the registration, the police are prepared to submit the investigation documents and report on time. They have also sought an extension until June 14 to file the statement on the child’s extension application, citing the ongoing investigation’s expected yield of additional evidence.
Lawyers Request Custody for Minor
The minor’s legal representatives submitted a letter to the JJB on 3rd June, requesting that custody be entrusted to family friends upon his release from the remand home. These family friends reside near the Agarwal residence. The JJB has solicited the submission of names for custody, specifying that blood relatives are ineligible and that third-party individuals should be considered. The lawyers have complied with this request, and the next course of action awaits further developments.
