Diagnosing the crisis I From escape of 11 prisoners in 13 years to 2024 Porsche case blood swap, Sassoon Hospital's tryst with infamy

Indian Express

16-06-2025

Sassoon General Hospital, a 1296-bed facility which is a cornerstone of public healthcare in Pune and surrounding regions, has repeatedly found itself at the centre of controversy over the past few years. From multiple escapes of undertrial inmates – including drug cartel kingpin Lalit Patil – from its dedicated prison ward, to the blood sample swap by its doctors in the Porsche crash case, the hospital has faced intense scrutiny. As investigations and court proceedings unfold in these matters, the authorities – from the police to the Sassoon Hospital administration – have taken measures to restore credibility through tighter security, procedural reforms, and stricter accountability measures.
This string of incidents has not only exposed serious vulnerabilities in security and procedural protocols but also raised troubling questions about the collusion between government employees and influential accused. In the case of Lalit Patil's escape, the security loopholes, unverified visitors, and long hospital stays without medical justification pointed to systemic failures. Similarly, the Porsche crash case revealed how critical forensic procedures were tampered with by senior and mid-level doctors, allegedly to shield the high-profile accused. These incidents had triggered multiple departmental inquiries, suspension of staff, arrests, and a review of standard operating procedures (SOPs), underscoring the pressing need for institutional overhaul.
Between August 2010 and October 2023, as many as 11 incidents of prison inmates escaping from police custody at the dedicated ward were reported.
In August 2010, two suspected sandalwood thieves – admitted to Sassoon Hospital after their arrest – escaped from the hospital within two days of their admission for injuries. The two were arrested in the third week of September that year.
In February 2011, Rohidas Chorghe, who was the main accused in the 2008 murder of real estate businessman Sandeep Bandal, escaped from Sassoon Hospital. He was rearrested in April 2012.
In the most sensational of the escapes, in September 2011, Yogesh Raut, the prime accused in a 2010 gang rape and murder case, had fled from Sassoon Hospital when he was brought there for treatment. He was arrested again in May 2013 following a long manhunt. Raut's brother was charged with helping him with the escape.
In October 2011, Vinod Lakhan, an undertrial from Yerawada prison facing charges of fraud, escaped from the Sassoon Hospital in the presence of two police guards when he was brought there for treatment of tuberculosis. He was rearrested in the first week of November that year.
In September 2016, Somnath Vishnu Raut, an accused booked under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), escaped from Sassoon Hospital. Officials said that he was arrested later in connection with another offence.
In November 2017, a 17-year-old accused in a vehicle arson case escaped from Sassoon General Hospital, where he was brought from the juvenile observation home for a psychiatric evaluation. He was detained later.
In May 2018, Akshay Lonare, accused of raping a 15-year-old girl, escaped from Sassoon Hospital. He was caught later and charged under MCOCA.
In April 2023, Balu alias Chakradhar Godse, arrested by the Ahmednagar police for illegal possession of firearms, escaped from Sassoon Hospital. He was arrested later. In May 2023, Virendra Sandeep Thakur, arrested by the Pune rural police in a case of theft, escaped from Sassoon General Hospital.
Mephedrone cartel kingpin Lalit Anil Patil, who had been in Sassoon Hospital since the first week of June 2023 for treatment of TB and hernia, escaped on the evening of October 2, a day prior to his surgery. He was arrested two weeks later in Chennai by a team of the Mumbai police. The sensational escape had led to a series of corrective actions and multiple arrests, including that of a Sassoon staffer and a prison department guard, among others.
After the escape of Lalit Patil, a major overhaul of the security measures at the prison ward was initiated. For the lapses in security, nine cops were suspended, and two of them were dismissed from the service. The state government ordered the Sassoon General Hospital to dismantle the previous prison committee that oversaw and monitored the admissions at the ward. A new committee comprising department heads was formed.
When contacted, Dr Eknath Pawar, Dean, Sassoon General Hospital, said, 'We instituted a new committee to review the admissions and cases in this ward. For all the inmates admitted to the ward, a daily report is generated and sent to the superintendent. If the admission extends beyond seven days, a report is sent to the office of the dean with the detailed reasons for the extended treatment. We have also deployed security personnel and necessary security systems at the ward.'
A senior officer from the Pune city police said, 'A dedicated police chowki has been planned for Sassoon Hospital. This police outpost will primarily cater to the Sassoon Hospital premises. Once all the necessary logistics are ready, the chowki will be inaugurated. At the same time, we are also in the process of formulating SOPs for various law and order scenarios that may arise at the hospital. Separate SOPs are being formed for dealing with situations arising with medico-legal cases or accused referred to by various jurisdictions like Pune city and Pune rural, among others…'
At 2.30 am on May 19 last year, the lives of two young IT engineers – Aneesh Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta – ended abruptly when a speeding Porsche, allegedly driven by an inebriated 17-and-a-half-year-old from an influential Pune realtor family, rammed into their motorcycle at Kalyani Nagar junction.
Dr Ajay Taware, the then head of the forensic medicine department at Sassoon Hospital, was arrested on May 27 along with two others – Dr Shrihari Halnor, a casualty medical officer, and Atul Ghatkamble, a staffer from the hospital morgue – on charges of swapping the blood sample collected from the minor with that of his mother, in exchange for money to help the minor's case.
Within a month of the criminal acts being unearthed, Sassoon Hospital authorities earmarked a designated area covered 24×7 by CCTV cameras for the collection of blood samples in medico-legal cases. Sassoon authorities also put in place various SOPs, including regular reviews, random surprise checks, and security and safety audits, for procedures involving medico-legal cases.
Sushant Kulkarni is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express in Pune with 12+ years of experience covering issues related to Crime, Defence, Internal Security and Courts. He has been associated with the Indian Express since July 2010.
Sushant has extensively reported on law and order issues of Pune and surrounding area, Cyber crime, narcotics trade and terrorism. His coverage in the Defence beat includes operational aspects of the three services, the defence research and development and issues related to key defence establishments. He has covered several sensitive cases in the courts at Pune.
Sushant is an avid photographer, plays harmonica and loves cooking. ... Read More