Special Correspondent
Pune : The Pune Sessions Court has denied interim bail to builder Vishal Agarwal, an accused in the high-profile Kalyani Nagar Porsche accident and the Sassoon Hospital blood sample tampering case. Agarwal had sought a 21-day temporary bail, citing the need to care for his ailing mother, who is scheduled to undergo spinal surgery.
The court, however, observed that other family members — including his father, wife, sister, and son — are available to look after his mother. Additional Sessions Judge K.P. Kshirsagar stated in the order that there is no legal or justifiable reason to grant temporary bail, especially considering the gravity of the charges and the possibility of evidence tampering.
The judge emphasized that the rights of the accused must be balanced with those of the victims and the public interest. “Releasing the accused temporarily may adversely affect the ongoing investigation and could pose a threat to the integrity of the judicial process,” the court said.
The case involves a deadly car crash in Pune’s Kalyani Nagar area, where a minor allegedly driving a Porsche caused a fatal accident. Following the incident, the blood samples of the minor and his friends were reportedly tampered with at Sassoon General Hospital. Vishal Agarwal, the father of the minor, is accused of conspiring with hospital staff and others to manipulate evidence. He is one of ten individuals booked in the case, including his wife Shivani.
During the hearing, Agarwal’s legal team argued that he is the only son and should be allowed to take care of his mother during and after her surgery. However, Special Public Prosecutor Shishir Hire strongly opposed the plea, stating that the surgery was planned and not an emergency, and that the accused has sufficient family support to handle the situation.
Hire also pointed out that Agarwal, along with his co-accused, attempted to interfere with the police investigation and judicial proceedings, raising legitimate concerns that releasing him could lead to manipulation of witnesses and tampering with critical evidence.
Taking these factors into account, the court concluded that granting bail — even temporarily — would not be in the interest of justice or the broader public. The plea was thus rejected.