Pune Porsche accident: Supreme Court grants bail to minor’s father in blood sample swapping case

The Supreme Court on Tuesday (March 10, 2026) granted bail to the father of the minor alleged to have been driving the Porsche car under the influence of alcohol in 2024 in Pune that killed two persons.

The incident dates back to May 19, 2024, when the Porsche car allegedly driven by the 17-year-old boy under the influence of alcohol fatally knocked down two IT professionals in Pune’s Kalyani Nagar area.

A Bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan granted bail to Vishal Agarwal, who is accused of hatching a conspiracy to swap blood samples of the minor to ensure the occupants of the car get a ‘Nil Alcohol’ report.

The top court observed that the case reflects the mindset of Indian society, where people want to get the better of the law.

Justice Nagarathna also questioned the role of educational institutions in instilling constitutional values among children.

The top court noted that the co-accused persons in the case have been granted relief and the accused has been in jail for the past 22 months.

“We note that the appellant herein has been in jail for the last 22 months. The appellant has made out a case for bail. Bail granted subject to terms and conditions to be imposed by the trial court,” the Bench ordered.

During the hearing, the Maharashtra government opposed the grant of bail and submitted that the ground of parity with other co-accused will not apply to the case of Mr. Agarwal.

The top court, however, restrained Mr. Agarwal from contacting any witnesses in the case and directed the trial court to conclude the trial expeditiously.

“The petitioner shall not make any attempt to contact the witnesses either directly or indirectly. Any violation of the conditions shall entitle the state to seek cancellation of the bail. We also direct the concerned trial court to conclude the trial at the earliest,” the bench ordered.

Justice Nagarathna said that the action of Mr. Agarwal cannot be the basis to curtail his liberty before the conviction.

“All this is a reflection of the mindset of Indian society. That everybody wants to get out and to get the better of the law.

“Now, the question is, if this is the mindset of Indian society, then does a man have to lose his liberty until he is convicted?” she told lawyers, appearing for different parties.

The counsel for the State government said that the principle of parity cannot be applied in this case as Mr. Agarwal has arranged Rs 5 lakh through his wife to bribe officials to manipulate blood samples and secure a favourable medical report.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Mr. Agarwal, submitted that the minor was driving the car but a driver had also been provided and was present in the vehicle.

Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for the father of one of the victims, opposed the grant of bail and argued that the case involved a conspiracy to subvert the justice system after the accident.

“Thousands of road accidents happen in this country every day. Many involve intoxicated drivers and minors. This case is not about the accident and death of my child.

“It is about subversion of justice. Immediately after the incident, there were a series of phone calls made by this man as a ring leader of a conspiracy,” he submitted.

Justice Nagarathna observed that the prosecution must secure a conviction through the trial process.

Mr. Sankaranarayanan argued that witnesses had stated that they were used in the alleged conspiracy and Agarwal had managed to influence other families of children involved in the case.

He submitted that a strong message needs to be sent to society. Justice Nagarathna said bail cannot be denied just to send a message to society and it cannot be at the cost of a man losing his liberty.

“These are all symptoms of the problems which are there in society. When a matter comes to the Supreme Court, we can’t just say that the trial court has denied the relief and the high court has denied the bail and, therefore, we would also deny it,” she said.

On February 27, the top court granted bail to a doctor arrested for allegedly tampering with the blood samples of the minor, accused of crashing a Porsche car into a motorcycle in Pune and killing two persons.

The court, on February 2, granted bail to three accused in the case, while observing that parents are to blame for such incidents involving juveniles as they do not have control over their children.

The Bombay High Court, on December 16 last year, rejected the bail pleas of eight accused in the case.

The Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) had granted bail to the minor accused on lenient terms, sparking nationwide outrage.

The bail conditions included writing a 300-word essay on road safety. As bail to the accused juvenile triggered outrage, the Pune Police approached the JJB to review its decision.

The board then modified the order and sent the juvenile to an observation home.

The high court subsequently ordered the release of the juvenile.

While the juvenile involved in the case was released from an observation home, 10 accused, including his parents Vishal Agarwal and Shivani Agarwal, doctors Ajay Tawre and Shreehari Halnor, Sassoon Hospital’s staffer Atul Ghatkamble, Sood, Mittal and Arun Kumar Singh, were sent to jail in the blood sample-swapping case.

Published – March 10, 2026 07:42 pm IST