Shiv Sena Corporator Withdraws SC Plea as Court Warns Against Attacks on Doctors

Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Sukrya Mhatre on Monday withdrew his Supreme Court appeal challenging bail conditions imposed in connection with an alleged assault on doctors at a hospital in Kalyan, Thane. The court's tough stance came as it also issued a notice on a plea by the Maharashtra government seeking cancellation of bail granted to Mhatre and three others.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta observed that those involved in attacks on medical professionals "do not deserve to roam on the streets even for a minute." The court referred to a similar incident in Palghar, where 17 Shiv Sena workers were booked for allegedly assaulting hospital staff over the treatment of a patient injured during Dahi Handi celebrations.

"This is their modus operandi," the bench remarked, adding that a deterrent message needs to go out to everyone. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Mhatre, argued that the Palghar incident involved a different group, but the court noted that the alleged attackers in both cases purportedly followed the same ideology.

The case stems from a July 6 incident at the Municipal Shastri Nagar Hospital in Dombivli, where doctors were allegedly assaulted after advising a pregnant woman's family to shift her to another facility due to a lack of NICU beds. Mhatre was arrested following the incident, granted bail by a sessions court on July 14, but the Bombay High Court stayed that order on July 18. The high court later lifted the stay on August 7, imposing stringent bail conditions.

The Supreme Court's remarks underscore growing judicial concern over violence against healthcare workers, a recurring issue that has prompted calls for stricter legal measures.