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The Bombay High Court has denied anticipatory bail to the father of a minor accused in the high-profile Porsche accident case in Pune. The applicant, identified as the father of the minor involved, was accused of replacing his son's blood sample with that of a co-accused, Ashish Mittal. The Court found a strong prima facie case against the applicant for offences under Sections 464 and 467 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), relating to forgery and cheating.
The case stems from an accident that occurred on May 19, 2024, in which a Porsche car, driven by the minor, allegedly hit a motorcycle from behind, leading to the death of the victims. The investigation revealed that the minor was driving under the influence of alcohol and the car was being driven at a high speed. The FIR registered in the case included charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, rash and negligent driving, causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety, mischief by causing damage to property, driving under the influence of alcohol, criminal conspiracy, and tampering with evidence.
The Court's decision was based on the evidence suggesting that the applicant had conspired with others, including doctors and hospital staff, to replace the blood sample. The Court considered this act as deception and a clear violation of Section 464 of the IPC, which deals with making a false document. The Court further observed that the altered blood sample served as a valuable security document, as it portrayed the minor as innocent, thus justifying the charges under Section 467 of the IPC, which pertains to forgery of valuable security.
The Court also highlighted the applicant's absconding nature, which hampered the investigation process. The Court opined that the applicant had failed to establish a case for granting anticipatory bail and that his actions warranted further investigation. As a result, the application for anticipatory bail was dismissed.
This case underscores the severity of evidence tampering and the consequences that can follow. The Bombay High Court's decision serves as a strong message that such attempts to obstruct justice will be met with stringent action. The case is likely to continue with the investigation proceeding to ascertain the full extent of the conspiracy and bring all those involved to justice.