As political links emerge, Congress wants CBI probe into Pune Porsche crash

Mumbai, May 28: Accusing the ruling Mahayuti government of attempting to derail the probe into the Porsche car crash that claimed two lives in Pune, the Maharashtra Congress on Tuesday demanded that the sensational case be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

State Congress President, Nana F Patole, also reiterated his demand for the resignation of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis as disturbing political links have emerged in the police probe.

“The common people are being ruthlessly crushed under speeding cars driven by people after consuming alcohol and drugs. Such accidents have taken place in Pune, Nagpur and Jalgaon. The most infuriating aspect is that efforts were made by the government system to help secure bail for the accused,” said Patole, demanding that the CBI take over the matter.

Accusing the government of ignoring the rampant illegal sale of drugs in Pune and the thriving unauthorised pubs/bars in the city and Nagpur, Patole said that 36 such outlets have been razed after the Porsche case hit national headlines.

Two girls were killed after being hit by a car in Nagpur recently and the accused secured bail in just 10 hours, and in a similar accident case in Jalgaon, all-out attempts were made to save the accused.

The Pune Porsche case, which has been throwing up fresh twists almost daily, has become murkier with a Mahayuti ally, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)’s MLA Sunil Tingre’s role coming under the scanner.

Among other things, Tingre had allegedly visited the Yerawada Police Station in the early hours of May 19 – barely hours after the accident in which the minor boy was arrested.

Additionally, Tingre had written a letter to his party leader and Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif recommending the name of Dr. Ajay Taware, the arrested Head of Forensics Medicine Department of Sassoon General Hospital, as the Medical Superintendent (MS) of the government-run institution.

Copies of the letter have gone viral on social media embarrassing the NCP top brass, though the government has not commented on it even as Dr. Taware, his colleague Dr. Shrihari Halnor and a peon Atul Ghatkamble were arrested for changing the blood sample of the minor accused against pecuniary benefits.

Mushrif has assured that strict action would be taken against the errant doctors, as the government contemplated suspension and departmental enquiry against them, besides a probe by a special three-member team led by Dr. Pallavi Saple which started its work on Tuesday.

Present at Patole’s briefing were RS MP Chandrakant Handore, Minority Department President Wajahat Mirza, ex-MP Hussain Dalwai, Chief Spokesperson Atul Londhe and others.