Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday rejected the anticipatory bail plea of a man accused of tampering with evidence to shield his son, a minor, involved in a fatal accident in May.
Justice Manish Pitale, while delivering the order, observed that prima facie evidence supported the charges against the applicant. The case involves a high-end car accident in Kalyaninagar on May 19, which claimed the lives of two motorbike-borne IT professionals, including a woman. The applicant’s son, allegedly intoxicated and seated in the rear of the vehicle driven by a teenage friend, is under investigation.
The prosecution alleges that the parents of the minor driver bribed doctors to swap his blood sample with that of his mother. The applicant is accused of similarly conspiring with doctors at Sassoon General Hospital to replace his son’s blood sample, with the intention of obstructing the investigation.
The police informed the court that while other accused in the case had been arrested, the applicant had remained absconding. The high court noted that his absence hindered the investigation and pointed to the deliberate tampering of evidence.
Senior counsel Aabad Ponda, representing the applicant, argued that at most, his client could be charged under Section 201 of the IPC (causing disappearance of evidence), which is a bailable offense. However, public prosecutor Shishir Hiray opposed the plea, highlighting that the sessions court had rightly dismissed the bail request on September 9.
The court concluded that the applicant’s involvement in the manipulation of blood samples warranted the rejection of his bail plea, reinforcing the need for a thorough investigation.
