Pune doctor in Porsche row arrested in 2022 kidney racket case
Representative image
PUNE: Pune police arrested on Wednesday night Dr Ajay Taware, the suspended head of Sassoon General Hospital's forensic science department, in the 2022 kidney transplant case at Ruby Hall Clinic after securing his custody from Yerawada Central Jail earlier the same evening, reports Vishwas Kothari & Asseem Shaikh.
On Thursday afternoon, investigating officer ACP Ganesh Ingale produced Taware before judicial magistrate first class (JMFC) SR Badve, who ordered the doctor remanded in police custody till June 2.
Taware, who was in jail since his arrest on May 27, 2024 as a co-accused in the blood sample swap case linked to the May 19, 2024 Porsche Taycan car crash, was the head of the Regional Authorisation Committee (RAC) for Organ Transplant as well as the Sassoon Authority Committee and was medical superintendent at the time when the transplant process took place and was completed at Ruby Hall Clinic.
"We arrested Taware based on a five-member state health department inquiry committee's report of May 2022 that has indicted him and four others in the RAC for misusing their position to aid kidney swap transplant based on bogus persons and forged documents. The department's then deputy director for the Nashik region, Dr Raghunath Bhoye, headed the inquiry panel," Ingale said.
Pune police commissioner Amitesh Kumar, when asked why it took so long (three years) for the police to arrest Taware in this case, said, "We undertook a review of the case again and post-consultation and study took the call to arrest him."
With inputs from Gitesh Shelke
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Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Sassoon hospital's suspended senior doctor held in 2022 kidney racket case in Pune
Pune: Police on Wednesday night arrested Dr Ajay Taware, the suspended head of Sassoon General Hospital's forensic science department, in the 2022 kidney transplant case at Ruby Hall Clinic after securing his custody from Yerawada central jail earlier in the evening. Taware, who had been in jail since his arrest on May 27, 2024, as a co-accused in the blood sample swap case linked to the Porsche Taycan car crash on May 19 last year, was the head of the Regional Authorisation Committee (RAC) for organ transplant as well as the Sassoon Authority Committee and was the medical superintendent at the time when the transplant process took place and was completed at Ruby Hall Clinic. RAC is responsible for scrutinising organ transplant papers related to the proposed donor and the receiver, sent by the hospital where the transplant is to be performed, and clearing them on establishing all credentials. "We arrested Taware based on a five-member state health department inquiry committee's report of May 2022 that has indicted him and four others in RAC for misusing their position to aid kidney swap transplant based on bogus persons and forged documents," investigating officer ACP Ganesh Ingale told TOI. "The health department's then deputy director for Nashik region, Dr Raghunath Bhoye, headed the panel." Pune police commissioner Amitesh Kumar, when asked why it took so long (three years) for police to arrest Taware in this case, said, "We took a review of the case again, and post-consultation and study took the call to arrest him." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo On Thursday afternoon, Ingale and his team produced Taware before judicial magistrate first class SR Badve, who ordered the doctor's remand in police custody till June 2. "A total of nine swap kidney transplants were authorised and conducted during Taware's tenure as the RAC chief and police needed time to thoroughly investigate these matters," prosecutor Digambar Khopde told the court. The prosecutor submitted that Taware by virtue of being the head of RAC and the Sassoon Authority Committee had all the hospital bodies under his control and as a medical superintendent, he was well-versed with the administrative aspects and rules, processes and documentation work relating to organ transplant. "It was RAC's responsibility to see that the papers of the donor and the receiver were genuine and that no financial transaction was involved behind the transplant proposal. Still, RAC gave its go-ahead to the organ transplant based on bogus persons and forged papers," the prosecutor said. Khopade submitted that police needed time to investigate who else were part of the process to clear the swap kidney transplant, whether money was exchanged in the process, how RAC failed to notice the difference of age between the wife of the organ receiver and the woman who posed as the wife of the receiver at the time of interview before RAC, and other aspects.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Pune doctor in Porsche row arrested in 2022 kidney racket case
Representative image PUNE: Pune police arrested on Wednesday night Dr Ajay Taware, the suspended head of Sassoon General Hospital's forensic science department, in the 2022 kidney transplant case at Ruby Hall Clinic after securing his custody from Yerawada Central Jail earlier the same evening, reports Vishwas Kothari & Asseem Shaikh. On Thursday afternoon, investigating officer ACP Ganesh Ingale produced Taware before judicial magistrate first class (JMFC) SR Badve, who ordered the doctor remanded in police custody till June 2. Taware, who was in jail since his arrest on May 27, 2024 as a co-accused in the blood sample swap case linked to the May 19, 2024 Porsche Taycan car crash, was the head of the Regional Authorisation Committee (RAC) for Organ Transplant as well as the Sassoon Authority Committee and was medical superintendent at the time when the transplant process took place and was completed at Ruby Hall Clinic. "We arrested Taware based on a five-member state health department inquiry committee's report of May 2022 that has indicted him and four others in the RAC for misusing their position to aid kidney swap transplant based on bogus persons and forged documents. The department's then deputy director for the Nashik region, Dr Raghunath Bhoye, headed the inquiry panel," Ingale said. Pune police commissioner Amitesh Kumar, when asked why it took so long (three years) for the police to arrest Taware in this case, said, "We undertook a review of the case again and post-consultation and study took the call to arrest him." With inputs from Gitesh Shelke
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Indian Express
Doctor accused in Pune Porsche crash held in kidney racket
Dr Ajay Taware, former head of forensic medicine department at the government-run Sassoon General Hospital and an accused in the Pune Porsche car crash case, has now been arrested by Pune city police in connection with alleged malpractices in a kidney transplant conducted at Ruby Hall Clinic in 2022. Police took Taware into custody from Yerwada Central jail on Wednesday. Cops produced him before a magistrate court on Thursday. The court remanded him to police custody till June 2 for further investigation. A first Information Report (FIR) in the kidney transplant malpractice case was lodged at Koregaon Park police station on May 11, 2022. Police said a woman, Sarika Sutar from Kolhapur, had been facing financial problems and allegedly agreed to give her kidney to Amit Salunkhe of Moshi (in Pimpri Chinchwad) by posing as his wife Sujata Salunkhe for Rs 15 lakh offered to her by two 'agents'. A 'kidney swap operation' was performed at the Pune based Ruby Hall Clinic in March 2022, when Sarika's kidney was given to a woman hailing from Baramati, while the kidney of Baramati woman's mother was given to Amit Salunkhe. Police said kidney swapping is allowed once all legal norms are fulfilled, but any financial transaction and forgery in doing so is illegal. After the kidney swap, Sarika did not receive the money she was promised. So she complained to Pune city police and Ruby Hall Clinic authorities. After a preliminary probe, police referred the matter to the state health department, which submitted its inquiry report to a court in Pune. Based on directions issued by the court, a case was registered at Koregaon Park police station under the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994, along with Indian Penal Code sections pertaining to cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy. Dr Sanjog Kadam, Deputy Director of Medical Services, Pune, lodged the FIR in this case. Police initially booked 15 people, including Sarika, Amit Salunkhe, hsi real wife Sujata, alleged 'agents' Ravi Rodge and Abhijit Gathne as well as senior management members and doctors of Ruby Hall Clinic. The FIR stated that fake documents were submitted to the hospital for kidney transplant. In these documents, allegedly prepared by the 'agents', Sarika Sutar posed as Amit's wife Sujata Salunkhe. The FIR held the Ruby Hall authorities and doctors responsible, claiming they did not thoroughly scrutinise the documents and sent them to the Regional Authorisation Committee at Sassoon General Hospital. Police said Dr Taware had been heading this Regional Authorisation Committee and he allegedly allowed the 'kidney swap transplant' without the forged documents being verified submitted by the kidney donor (Sarika) and organ receiver Amit. Police told the court on Thursday that Sarika appeared as Sujata Salunkhe before the committee headed by Taware. Police said Sarika did not give satisfactory answers to the committee. There were discrepancies in her statements pertaining to property and previous medical treatments she received from Amit Salunkhe. Police said Sarika's behaviour before the committee was suspicious, Besides, it was visible her age was different from the actual age of Sujata Salunkhe. Still, the committee headed by Taware allowed the fake person for the 'kidney swap operation', police said. Police sought Taware's custody for seven days to probe if he was involved in any malpractices in the nine kidney swap transplants held during his tenure as head of the Regional Authorisation Committee at Sassoon hospital. Earlier, the police had arrested two agents or middlemen Ravi Rodge and Abhijit Gathne in this case. Police informed the court that chargesheet was filed against the duo on July 11, 2022. Also, a supplementary chargesheet was filed against Sarika Sutar, Amit Salunkhe and two others on October 10, 2022. Police told the court that charesheet was not filed against authorities and doctors of Ruby Hall Clinic as they were found involved in any illegal financial transactions acts in this case and had conducted the 'swap kidney operation' legally. Police said one Bhau Sawant is a wanted accused, while Amit's real wife Sujata was not chargesheeted. Meanwhile, last month, the Maharashtra Medical Council suspended the medical licence of Dr Ajay Taware, for 'gross misconduct and breach of medical ethics', following his alleged involvement in the Pune Porsche crash case. ACP Ganesh Ingle of crime branch is investigating the case further. Role in Porsche crash case Two IT engineers lost their lives after the minor driver of a Porsche car allegedly crashed his vehicle into them, leading to their deaths, on May 19, 2024. The police investigation revealed that when the minor driver, the son of a prominent realtor, was taken to Sassoon Hospital after the accident for a medical examination, his blood sample was allegedly replaced with his mother's. The police arrested the minor's parents and others including Dr Taware for their alleged role in swapping blood samples. A DNA report on August 9, 2024, confirmed blood samples of two friends of the minor driver were also swapped at the hospital.
