Licences of Sassoon Doctors Who Swapped Blood Samples in Kalyaninagar Accident Case Suspended by Maharashtra Medical Council

Tejas Navale

Pune, April 23, 2025: In a significant action in the Kalyaninagar Porsche crash case, the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) has suspended the medical licences of Dr. Ajay Taware and Dr. Srihari Halnor, two senior doctors from Pune’s Sassoon Hospital, over allegations of tampering with the blood sample of the minor accused.

Dr. Taware, the former head of Sassoon’s forensic department, and Dr. Halnor, the Chief Medical Officer at the time, were earlier arrested by the Pune Police for allegedly orchestrating a cover-up in the case by swapping the accused’s blood sample during the medical examination. The MMC, acting on detailed reports from the Directorate of Medical Education and Pune Police, has now revoked their licences until a final decision is taken.

Prior to the suspension, both doctors had been served show-cause notices by the MMC. While they responded through their lawyers, they were unable to appear personally before the council as they were arrested. However, the council proceeded with disciplinary action after evaluating the findings submitted by authorities.

Under current regulations, doctors in Maharashtra must be registered with the MMC to legally practise medicine. With their registrations now suspended, both doctors have been stripped of their right to practise anywhere in the state.

On May 19 last year, a speeding Porsche driven by a minor in Pune’s upscale Kalyaninagar locality rammed into a two-wheeler, in which an IT engineer and his friend died on the spot. The incident sparked huge public outrage, which only intensified after it emerged that the minor’s blood sample had allegedly been swapped to manipulate evidence.

“The MMC has carefully reviewed the investigation reports submitted by Pune Police and the Directorate of Medical Education. Since both Dr. Taware and Dr. Halnor are in judicial custody and could not present themselves, the Council has suspended their medical licences until further orders,” said Dr. Vinky Rughwani, Administrator of the Maharashtra Medical Council.