Congress demands CBI probe into Pune accident case

Mumbai: Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on Tuesday demanded CBI investigation into the Pune Porsche car accident case. He alleged that the state police are trying to cover up the incident because a son of an MLA was present in the car at the time of the accident. The MLA called the doctors, who destroyed the blood samples of the minor accused, he claimed.

According to the FIR in the case, the minor accused allegedly killed Ashwini Kostha and Anish Awadhiya — two IT professionals working in Pune, in the wee hours on May 19. Their motorcycle was hit by a speeding Porsche car allegedly driven by the minor, who belongs to a prominent realtors family in Pune. After the incident, his father and grandfather allegedly tried to influence the police investigation, judicial process as well as medical tests.

“The instances of common people being crushed under vehicles by people driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs is on the rise. Such incidents have been reported from Nagpur, Jalgaon and Pune, but the most infuriating thing is that efforts were made through the government system to ensure that the rich accused get immediate bail. Therefore the Pune accident case should be investigated by the CBI as there seems to be political interference to save the rich accused,” Mr. Patole said.

The Congress leader also targeted deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and claimed that the senior BJP leader used his law degree to protect the accused in the Pune case. “Illegal pubs are rampant in Pune and Nagpur too. After the car accident case, 36 illegal pubs in Pune had to be demolished. BJP has committed the sin of ruining the youth by bringing large quantities of drugs from Gujarat to Maharashtra,” he said.

Demanding resignation of Mr. Fadnavis, Mr. Patole said, “Even in Nagpur, home minister's city, two girls crushed two youths to death under a car, but they got bail within 10 hours. In Jalgaon too a similar case was reported and an attempt was made to save the accused. Dr. Taware from Sassoon Hospital, Pune. changed the accused's blood samples.”

Mr. Patole was referring to the arrest of two doctors from the government-run Sasoon hospital —  Dr Ajay Taware and Dr Shrihari Harnol — for allegedly manipulating the blood samples of the minor accused in the Pune case. The two doctors have been remanded in police custody till May 30. According to the police, the doctors threw away the blood samples of the juvenile and sent another person’s samples to the forensic lab.

Meanwhile, a Pune court has extended the custody of the minor accused person’s father and grandfather, who have been arrested in the case. The two allegedly gave money and presents to their family driver in exchange for accepting responsibility for the accident.