Pune car crash: NCP MLA's old letter of recommendation for arrested doctor surfaces

The Pune police have arrested Dr Taware, head of the state-run hospital's Forensic Medicine department, Dr Shrihari Halnor, the chief medical officer, and staffer Atul Ghatkamble who works under Dr Taware, in connection with case.

Pune: Following the arrest of Sassoon General Hospital's Dr Ajay Taware in the Pune car crash case, a 2023 letter of NCP MLA Sunil Tingre has surfaced in which he recommended the doctor be given an additional charge of medical superintendent.

The Pune police have arrested Dr Taware, head of the state-run hospital's Forensic Medicine department, Dr Shrihari Halnor, the chief medical officer, and staffer Atul Ghatkamble who works under Dr Taware, in connection with the car crash case.

Two IT professionals were killed after their motorcycle was hit by a speeding Porsche car allegedly driven by a 17-year-old boy in the early hours of May 19 in Kalyani Nagar area of Maharashtra's Pune city. The police claim the teenager was drunk at the time of the accident.

The Pune police on Monday said the blood samples of the juvenile driver were thrown into a dustbin and replaced with another person's samples which showed no traces of alcohol and arrested the two doctors and staffer of the Sassoon General Hospital.

There have been reports that Vadgaon Sheri NCP MLA Tingre had intervened to ensure the juvenile gets favourable treatment from police, though a senior official earlier said he had come to the police station, but it won’t be correct to say the direction of the police investigation was impacted due to this.

Tingre's letter from last year addressed to state medical education minister Hasan Mushrif has now surfaced on social media, in which he recommended Dr Taware for the position of medical superintendent at the state-run hospital in Pune.

In the letter dated December 26, 2023, Tingre said he knows Dr Taware and noted the latter had previously worked as the superintendent and discharged his duties well during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I request you to kindly consider giving the additional charge of medical superintendent to Taware," the letter stated.

The letter also had a handwritten note from Mushrif, directing the Sassoon Hospital's dean to give the additional charge to Dr Taware.

Mushrif's note mentioned that, according to rules, a person of professor rank should be considered for the position, and the (then) current medical superintendent did not fulfil the criteria.

On Tuesday, MLA Tingre in a statement claimed there was an attempt to give a 'different colour' to the issue over the recommendation letter.

"As a public representative, many people approach me for recommendation letters for various reasons such as school admissions, medical treatment, and job transfers. Each recommendation letter includes a note that action should be taken according to the rules, and the department concerned acts only if the request is appropriate," he stated.

Tingre said it would not be appropriate to give a different turn to the issue.

"I have full faith in the justice system, and I believe things will get clear at the end of an enquiry," he said.