SC Grants Bail to 3 in Pune Porsche Blood-Swap Case
SC Grants Bail to 3 in Pune Porsche Blood-Swap Case
Supreme Court grants regular bail to three accused in Pune Porsche crash linked to alleged blood tampering, stressing conditions and ongoing juvenile proceedings.
The Supreme Court on Monday granted regular bail to three men accused of tampering with blood samples after the May 2024 Pune Porsche crash that killed two tech professionals. The trio—A Sood, Ashish Mittal, and Santosh Gaikwad—had already spent about 18 months in jail, and the court ordered their release on bail subject to conditions set by the trial court. The bench warned that any violation of bail conditions could lead to cancellation of the bail order.
The case centers on a 17-year-old who was driving a Porsche Taycan and is being tried as a child in conflict with the law (CCL) before the Juvenile Justice Board, not as an adult. Under CCL provisions, there is no prison term if found guilty; at most, a minor can be placed in a borstal for up to three years. The court noted that continued incarceration would unjustly prejudice the trio given the minor’s status and the nature of the principal offence.
Prosecutors had alleged that the driver’s parents handed over Rs 3 lakh to Gaikwad to pass to a doctor’s assistant, though the driver’s statement did not corroborate this, and no amount was recovered. The court’s order stated that petitions were allowed and the accused should be produced before the concerned trial court to be released on bail, pending trial.
Observers say bail in such a high-profile case underscores the delicate balance courts must strike between due process and public interest, especially when minors are involved and there are serious allegations of evidence tampering. The decision marks a notable turn in a case that drew intense media and public scrutiny, while the families of the deceased tech professionals await further legal developments.
