Exactly a year after a speeding Porsche, allegedly driven by a 17-year-old under the influence of alcohol, crashed into a two-wheeler in Pune, killing two young techies, the families of the victims remain in search of justice.
The fatal crash on May 19, 2024, in the Kalyani Nagar area claimed the lives of software professionals Anish Awadhiya and Ashwini Costa. The tragedy, which grabbed national headlines, brought to light a series of alleged cover-ups involving the boy’s family and hospital officials, sparking outrage over perceived attempts to shield the accused.
In the early hours of that day, the unregistered Porsche allegedly ploughed into the victims’ motorbike, killing both on the spot. The juvenile driver, who was initially detained, was granted bail within hours by Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) member L N Danavade. The bail conditions, which included merely writing a 300-word essay on road safety, provoked widespread public anger, prompting a review of the decision.
Subsequently, the Bombay High Court intervened, directing the juvenile’s release after he was briefly sent to an observation home. However, the case took a darker turn when it emerged that the boy’s blood samples had allegedly been swapped with those of his mother at Pune’s Sassoon General Hospital to hide his intoxication, leading to multiple arrests.
Currently, the boy’s father, Sassoon doctors Ajay Taware and Shrihari Halnor, hospital staffer Atul Ghatkamble, and two middlemen, Bashpak Makandar and Amar Gaikwad, along with others, remain behind bars, facing charges of evidence tampering. The juvenile’s mother, however, is out on interim bail.
Om Awadhiya, the father of Anish, has expressed his dismay over the slow pace of justice, saying, “A year has passed, but the trial is being stretched. Our son is no longer with us; nothing can compensate for that loss, but justice in this case would send a strong message against drunk driving and those who believe money and power put them above the law.”
He added that the families have appealed for a swift trial, as the memories of their lost children continue to haunt them. “This entire year has been painful for me, my wife, and our whole family. Not a single day goes by without us remembering him and cherishing his beautiful memories. After Anish’s tragic death, our world has come crashing down,” he said.
Special Public Prosecutor Shishir Hiray said that despite the attempts to delay the proceedings, the prosecution remains determined to bring the accused to justice.
Also read: Underworld twist in Pune Porsche crash probe
“The sessions court has rejected the bail pleas of the accused. To ensure that the trial is fast-tracked, we have already filed an application to frame charges. But Dr Taware has moved court seeking to discharge him from the case. That is why the proceedings are pending,” he said.
Hiray emphasised that the case is far from a simple accident, noting that the accused “played and cheated the judicial system by tampering with key evidence, such as blood reports.”
Meanwhile, a senior official from Pune Police asserted that the investigation is being conducted in a professional manner to ensure a watertight case against the accused, despite the initial controversy over the handling of the case.
The initial crash occurred around 2.30 am on May 19 last year, when Awadhiya, Costa, and some friends were returning home on their bikes. Police said the juvenile, allegedly drunk, chose to drive the Porsche after partying at two different hotels. The impact of the crash was so severe that both victims died instantly.
Following the crash, Pune Police Chief Amitesh Kumar suspended two officers from the Yerawada police station for allegedly providing the juvenile with preferential treatment.
The probe revealed that the boy’s father and Dr Taware, then the head of the Forensic Science department at Sassoon Hospital, had allegedly swapped the juvenile’s blood samples with those of his mother to conceal his intoxication. Two other minors present in the car also reportedly had their samples swapped to obscure their involvement.
The incident has also triggered calls for stricter enforcement of underage drinking laws, with cases registered against the hotels that allegedly served alcohol to the juvenile and his friends.
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