In a dramatic development nearly a year after the Porsche car crash in Pune that killed two software professionals, the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) has suspended the licenses of two doctors involved in tampering with evidence. Dr. Ajay Taware and Dr. Shrihari Halnor, both employed at the government-run Sassoon General Hospital at the time, were arrested for allegedly swapping blood samples of the teenage driver involved in the fatal accident.
The incident, which occurred on May 19, 2024, involved a 17-year-old driver, reportedly under the influence of alcohol, who ran over two IT professionals on a motorcycle in Pune’s Kalyani Nagar. To avoid detection of alcohol, the doctors are accused of swapping the juvenile’s blood sample with that of his mother, according to police.
The MMC took suo motu cognizance of the matter after the doctors were booked for their involvement in the tampering. Despite their detention in judicial custody, the council proceeded with the suspension of their licenses, effectively barring them from practicing medicine. The suspension will remain in effect until the case reaches its final resolution.
In addition to the two doctors, hospital staffer Atul Ghatkamble has also been arrested for his role in the alleged evidence manipulation. The juvenile driver, the son of a real estate developer, has since been released from an observation home, while ten others, including his parents, hospital staff, and alleged middlemen, remain in judicial custody as the investigation continues.
