New Delhi , 2 Feb : The Supreme Court granted bail to Ashish Satish Mittal, Aditya Avinash Sood, and Amar Santhosh Gaikwad, who stand accused of swapping blood samples to shield minors implicated in the high-profile Pune Porsche hit-and-run case.
The bench, comprising Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan, noted that the three had been in custody for nearly 20 months and ordered their release subject to the conditions prescribed by the trial court.
The accused allegedly facilitated the replacement of blood samples belonging to two minor passengers in the Porsche, who were reportedly under the influence of alcohol at the time of the fatal crash on May 19, 2024.
The incident in Pune’s Kalyaninagar area claimed the lives of IT professionals Anis Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta, triggering nationwide outrage.
Mittal is a friend of one minor’s father, Sood is the father of the other minor occupant, and Gaikwad is alleged to have acted as a middleman, receiving Rs three lakh to coordinate the blood sample swap.
In its observations, the bench underscored parental responsibility, highlighting that providing vehicles to minors and enabling reckless behaviour reflects a wider social problem.
Justice Nagarathna noted that the law must ensure accountability, but avoided detailed findings to protect the ongoing trial.
Earlier, the Pune Sessions Court had denied bail, observing that evidence tampering was part of the crime’s modus operandi and bail could send the wrong message.
The Supreme Court protects the accused’s legal rights while allowing the trial to proceed, emphasising accountability and social responsibility.
The ruling highlights the severity of the incident, the role of parental oversight, and the need to deliver justice without affecting the ongoing proceedings.
