Pune Porsche teen's mother part of family's cover-up ploy, reveals probe
New Delhi: The blood sample of the Pune teenager, involved in a late-night Porsche crash that resulted in the deaths of two young engineers, might have been switched with his mother's sample to forge the alcohol test results and exonerate him, media reported.
The investigation into the accident has revealed major irregularities in the 17-year-old's medical examination at the state-run Sassoon Hospital, reported NDTV.
In the wake of these findings, Maharashtra Medical Education has set up a three-member committee led by Dr. Pallavi Sapale, dean of Mumbai's Grants Medical College, to investigate the issue, the report said.
The teen's mother previously appeared in a video message claiming that a viral video allegedly showing her son was fake.
She also pleaded with the police to "protect" her son and became emotional on camera.
While the teen is currently in an observation home, his realtor father and grandfather have been arrested.
The family allegedly tried to coerce their driver into taking the blame for the accident.
If the examined sample is found to be his mother's, it will implicate another family member in the cover-up attempt.
Aneesh Awadhiya and Ashwini Kostha, both 24-year-old engineers from Madhya Pradesh, were killed when a speeding Porsche struck their bike late on May 19.
The teen, accused of driving the car in an inebriated state, was released on bail within 15 hours under what has been widely alleged as lenient conditions -- he was required to write a 300-word essay, assist traffic police for 15 days, and seek treatment for his drinking habit.
Following public outrage, the Juvenile Justice Board revised its order and placed him in an observation home until June 5, pending a decision on the police's request to try the teen as an adult.
The investigation later discovered that the teen's blood report was manipulated by swapping samples.
Dr. Ajay Taware, head of Sassoon Hospital's forensic medicine department, chief medical officer Dr. Shrihari Halnor, and staff member Atul Ghatkamble have been arrested in connection with this, the report said.
The probe revealed that Dr. Halnor and Ghatkamble received Rs 3 lakh from Dr. Taware to alter the blood samples, according to a police officer.