What initially appeared to be just another accident in Pune has now ensnared the entire family of high-profile real estate developer Vishal Agarwal, along with doctors, police officials, and politicians, in a complex web of controversy. A drunk minor boy from an influential family crashed his Porsche into a bike, killing two young techies. The subsequent cover-up attempt, links to the underworld, and the swapping of blood samples have turned this sequence of events into the substance of a Bollywood potboiler. Each passing day reveals a new intriguing fact, transforming the case into a gripping web series.
The accident occurred in Pune's upscale Kalyani Nagar area on May 19 and has since engulfed the family of Vishal Agarwal, the father of the 17-year-old boy involved. The controversy has also drawn in doctors, police officials, and politicians.
The incident led to the arrest of the teen's father, Vishal Agarwal, dramatically as he tried to evade the police, as well as his grandfather. The police are also searching for the teen's mother, who is absconding, for allegedly swapping her blood sample with that of her son.
Software engineers Aneesh Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta, both 24, had no inkling of the tragic fate awaiting them when they went for dinner at a club on May 19. After dinner, they were returning home when a speeding grey Porsche rammed into their bike. Koshta died instantly, while Awadhiya succumbed to his injuries en route to the hospital. Both hailed from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh.
The driver of the Porsche was the 17-year-old son of Vishal Agarwal. Two of his friends were also in the luxury vehicle. An eyewitness reported that the teen was so intoxicated that even being thrashed by the crowd had no effect on him. The police arrived quickly and took him to the station.
Outrage ensued when the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) released the teen on bail within minutes, with his only punishment being a 300-word essay on road mishaps and their solutions. The public vented their anger on social media, and residents held a candlelight vigil for the deceased in Pune.
Further fury arose when CCTV footage showed the teen and his friends consuming liquor in two bars before the crash, with liquor bills totaling Rs 69,000. Three pub executives were arrested for serving alcohol to minors, and both establishments were sealed.
The opposition alleged that the teen received special treatment at the Yerwada police station, including being served pizza and burgers. The Pune police commissioner denied these charges. The opposition also claimed that Sunil Tingre, an MLA from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Ajit Pawar, visited the police station late at night. Tingre denied exerting any pressure on the police, claiming he visited the station as a "responsible public representative."
Eventually, the teen's bail was revoked, and he was sent to an observation home. The police argued for the teen to be treated as an adult due to the heinous nature of the crime.
Amid the drama, the teen's father, Vishal Agarwal, owner of Bramha Realty and Infrastructure, went into hiding. Knowing the police were after him, Agarwal sent his driver and personal car toward Mumbai while he traveled to Sambhajinagar in a friend's car. However, his movements were tracked through his friend's car's GPS, and he was arrested on May 21 at a lodge for allowing his son to drive without a license.
Days later, the father claimed their family driver was behind the wheel during the accident, supported by the teen's friends. However, CCTV footage disproved this, showing the teen driving the car from their residence. Police also stated that the teen, who is nearly 18, was fully conscious while driving.
On May 25, a new twist emerged when the family's driver, Gangaram, alleged that he was wrongfully confined and pressured to take the blame for the crash. This led to the arrest of the teen's grandfather, Surendra Agarwal, who reportedly faces trial in a shootout case involving gangster Chhota Rajan.
Two police officials from the Yerwada police station were suspended for not reporting the accident immediately. The plot thickened further when it was revealed that the teen's blood samples were not taken immediately after the crash, raising suspicions of an attempt to dilute the alcohol content in his blood.
On May 26, two doctors from Sassoon Hospital were arrested for manipulating the blood samples and report. Dr. Ajay Taware and Dr. Shrihari Harnor were involved, with one doctor allegedly being bribed Rs 3 lakh. Hospital staffer Atul Ghatkamble, who collected the bribe, was also arrested.
The latest twist came on Friday when police sources revealed that the blood sample of the minor was swapped with his mother, Shivani Agrawal's, at Sassoon General Hospital. The police are searching for Shivani, and her arrest could soon follow.
