In a special Saturday sitting, the Bombay High Court cancelled the bail granted to Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) corporator Ramesh Mhatre and four of his associates, who were accused of assaulting three doctors at a civic hospital. The court took suo motu cognisance of the magistrate’s order and noted that it did not consider Mr. Mhatre’s antecedents. The High Court Bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad, observed that the magistrate’s order was too lenient, given that the accused, accompanied by four others, attacked three doctors in a corporation hospital.
The court stated that the police desired to interrogate Mr. Mhatre, but the magistrate’s order did not contain any direction for him to mark his presence at the police station or cooperate with the investigation. The Bench directed Mr. Mhatre to surrender to the Dombivli police station before 5 p.m. on July 19. If he fails to surrender or is not reachable, authorities may initiate procedures to attach his immovable properties.
The High Court also cancelled the bail granted to the four other assailants. The court’s action comes after doctors across Maharashtra decided to abstain from work on July 22, protesting the grant of bail to Mr. Mhatre. The Bench appealed to the doctors to reconsider their strike decision, stating that doctors in government and civic hospitals should reconsider in the larger interest of society.
Advocate Niranjan Mundargi appeared as amicus curiae, while Advocate General Milind Sathe, assisted by Chief Public Prosecutor Shishir Hiray, represented the State.
