Supreme Court grants bail to former Sassoon General Hospital superintendent in Pune Porsche blood-sample case
The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to the former medical superintendent of Sassoon General Hospital, who had been arrested on allegations of tampering with blood samples connected to a fatal Porsche crash in Pune. The accused, Dr Ajay Taware, was alleged to have been involved in manipulating blood test samples of a 17-year-old who is accused of driving the Porsche that struck and killed two persons in May 2024. A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan allowed the relief on the ground of parity with other co-accused who had earlier been granted bail.
Incident overview: May 19, 2024 crash and subsequent allegations
The collision occurred on May 19, 2024, in Pune’s Kalyani Nagar area. According to the record before the court, a Porsche driven by a 17-year-old allegedly under the influence of alcohol fatally struck two IT professionals. In the investigation that followed, allegations emerged that blood samples connected to the juvenile accused had been tampered with or substituted. Dr Ajay Taware was among several health-care personnel and other individuals arrested as part of a probe into the alleged swapping of blood samples used to test the minors involved in the vehicle.
Supreme Court’s ruling and the principle of parity
The Supreme Court bench noted parity as the basis for granting bail to Dr Taware. In legal practice, parity refers to the principle that similarly situated accused persons should receive comparable treatment from the courts in matters such as bail. When the court finds that co-accused facing similar charges and custody conditions have been granted bail, it may extend equivalent relief to others in the same position unless there are distinct factors warranting different treatment.
This decision follows earlier Supreme Court orders in the same matter. On February 2, the court had granted bail to three accused who had been in custody for approximately 18 months: Amar Santish Gaikwad (described as an alleged middleman), and Aditya Avinash Sood and Ashish Satish Mittal (identified as parents of two other juveniles who had been in the car). Prior to the bail granted on February 2, the court had, on January 23 and January 7, sought responses from the Maharashtra government on separate bail pleas filed by accused persons in the case.
Lower-court and high-court proceedings leading up to the current order
The matter has proceeded through multiple judicial forums. The Bombay High Court, on December 16 of the previous year, rejected bail applications filed by eight accused in the case, which included Gaikwad, Sood and Mittal. The Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) in the city initially granted bail to the juvenile accused on lenient conditions — an order that drew widespread criticism for its perceived leniency. Among the bail conditions reported at that time was a requirement to write a 300-word essay on road safety, a term that attracted public and official scrutiny.
Following public uproar and administrative concern, the Pune Police approached the JJB seeking a review of its bail order. The board then modified its decision and directed that the juvenile be sent to an observation home. Subsequently, the high court ordered the release of the juvenile from the observation home. The case has involved multiple rounds of custody, remands and bail applications for several accused connected to the alleged blood-sample manipulation.
Accused, custody status and related disciplinary steps
Authorities have named several persons in connection with the blood-sample swapping allegations. Apart from Dr Ajay Taware, those remanded in connection with the matter included the juvenile’s parents, identified as Vishal Agarwal and Shivani Agarwal; another doctor, Shreehari Halnor; a Sassoon Hospital staffer, Atul Ghatkamble; Aditya Avinash Sood; Ashish Satish Mittal; and Arun Kumar Singh. Reports indicate that, in the aftermath of the blood-sample allegations, disciplinary steps were initiated by regulatory bodies. The state medical council reportedly took action against doctors implicated in the blood-sample swap, further reflecting the gravity of the charges and the institutional oversight being applied.
Public reaction and ongoing investigation
The case has generated intense public interest and criticism, particularly because it involves a minor accused of causing fatalities and separate allegations of medical and procedural misconduct. The sequence of judicial orders, custody changes and disciplinary measures has drawn sustained attention from law enforcement, medical regulators and the public. The Supreme Court’s recent grant of bail to Dr Taware, based on parity with other co-accused who had earlier been released, adds another chapter to an ongoing legal process involving multiple accused and several distinct legal questions: the criminal responsibility of a juvenile accused of causing deaths, the conduct of adults and intermediaries allegedly facilitating sample substitution, and the professional accountability of medical personnel implicated in the events.
As the matter proceeds, court records and formal filings will determine the next steps in prosecutions, appeals and any administrative sanctions. The Supreme Court order granting bail to Dr Taware reflects the court’s assessment of comparable treatment for co-accused and will be considered alongside other judicial and investigative developments in this complex, multi-faceted case. medichelpline will continue to monitor and report further judicial orders and official updates as they become available.