Pune Porsche car case accused 'played with judiciary' by tampering evidence, says prosecution

Pune: The prosecution has opposed the bail pleas of six accused in the May 19 Pune Porsche car accident case and said they "played with the judicial system" by tampering with evidence.

The Special Public Prosecutor (SPP), Shishir Hiray, on Thursday, argued before Additional Sessions Judge UM Mudholkar that the accused, including the parents of the juvenile involved in the accident, medical professionals, and middlemen, acted in connivance to sabotage evidence.

The case pertains to the May 19 incident in which a Porsche car, allegedly driven by a minor in an inebriated condition, hit two IT professionals, killing them in the KalyNagar area of Pune.

During the argument, Hiray cited a Supreme Court judgement that cancelled the bail of former Uttar Pradesh minister Amarmani Tripathi in a murder case, stating that the accused would tamper with evidence if released on bail.

He emphasised that tampering with evidence hampers the right of victims to seek justice and undermines the judicial system.

Hirey said, "After the case was registered against the minor accused in the case, the accused took the entire system in their hand and tampered with key evidence crucial in the judicial proceedings and tampering with the evidence is nothing but playing with the judicial system; the same had happened in the Amarmani Tripathi vs. CBI case."

The prosecution also refuted the defence's argument that IPC Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) should be segregated, stating that it cannot be done at this stage in the case.

Hiray also dismissed claims of a media trial leading to the arrests, asserting that the investigation is being conducted with the utmost professionalism. The SPP also informed the court that the car's speed was recorded at 110 km per hour after the airbags in the car opened once it hit the two-wheeler, indicating the vehicle was likely being driven at an even higher speed before the impact.

The six accused, including the parents of the juvenile involved in the accident, Vishal Agarwal, Shivani Agarwal; Ajay Taware, Shreehari Halnor, Ashpak Makandar, and Amar Gaikwad, are currently being heard before the court. The prosecution will continue its argument on Friday.

The Pune police have filed a 900-page chargesheet against the seven accused, including the six who moved the bail pleas.

The case against the main accused, a minor, is ongoing before the Juvenile Justice Board.

A case was registered by the Pune crime branch unit after the accident against the parents of the accused minor and doctors of Sassoon Hospital, including two others.

They were booked for allegedly conspiring to tamper with evidence and manipulating the blood sample.

There was a nationwide uproar after the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) granted bail to the accused minor on very lenient terms, including writing a 300-word essay on road safety.