Supreme Court Grants Bail to Co-Accused in Pune Porsche Crash Blood Sample Manipulation Case
The Supreme Court of India has granted bail to Ashpak Basha Makandar, one of the co-accused in the high-profile case involving the manipulation of blood samples related to the minor driver in the tragic Porsche car crash in Pune. The incident, which occurred on May 19, 2024, in the Kalyaninagar area, resulted in the deaths of two young software engineers. The apex court's decision was made on Wednesday, citing grounds of parity with other accused who have already received bail relief.
Details of the Bail Grant and Case Background
With this ruling, five out of the total ten accused in the case, which was registered by the Yerawada police, are now out on bail. This group includes the teenage driver's mother. However, several key individuals remain in judicial custody, including the father of the minor driver, two suspended doctors from Sassoon Hospital, a suspended mortuary staffer, and one additional co-accused. The case centers on allegations that Makandar and co-accused Amar Gaikwad acted as middlemen to facilitate contact between the teen driver's builder father and the Sassoon hospital doctors for the exchange of money to swap blood samples.
Makandar had previously approached the Supreme Court after the Bombay High Court rejected his bail plea on December 16, 2025. During the proceedings, his lawyer argued that Makandar's situation was "similarly placed" with that of Amar Santosh Gaikwad, who was granted bail on February 2, 2026, in Criminal Appeal No. 629 of 2026. The lawyer emphasized the principle of parity, noting that Makandar had been in jail for approximately 20 months and deserved similar relief.
Court Proceedings and State's Concession
The standing counsel for the state conceded to the arguments presented, submitting that the Supreme Court could pass an appropriate order in the matter. The bench, comprising Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, reviewed the facts on record and the submissions made. In their judgment, the bench stated, "Considering the facts on record and the aforesaid submissions, in our view, the case for bail is made out. We, therefore, allow this appeal."
The court directed that Makandar be produced before the concerned trial court as early as possible, where he would be released on bail subject to conditions deemed appropriate to ensure his presence in the proceedings related to FIR No. 306 of 2024. Additionally, the bench imposed strict conditions, ordering Makandar to extend complete cooperation in the trial, not misuse his liberty in any manner, and refrain from attempting to contact witnesses either directly or indirectly.
Overview of the Accused and Incident Details
The case involves a complex web of accused individuals, including the teen driver's father, a prominent builder; his mother; Dr. Ajay Taware, the then-head of the forensic sciences department at Sassoon Hospital; Dr. Shrihari Halnor, the then-chief medical officer at Sassoon, both of whom are suspended; the two agents, Ashpak Makandar and Amar Gaikwad, who facilitated the money exchange; the fathers of two other minors who accompanied the teen driver; and a friend of one of these fathers, who provided his blood sample as a replacement.
The tragic accident occurred around 2:30 AM on May 19, 2024, when the Porsche Taycan car, allegedly driven by the minor, collided with a motorcycle in Kalyaninagar, killing two software engineers. According to police reports, the minor was returning home to Wadgaonsheri after partying with friends at pubs in Mundhwa. The investigation revealed a conspiracy where the teen driver's blood sample was replaced with that of his mother, and the blood samples of the accompanying minors were swapped with those of other co-accused, aiming to manipulate evidence in the case.
