A case has been registered against a Shiv Sena corporator, Ramesh Sukrya Mhatre, and five others for assaulting doctors and staff at a hospital in Maharashtra's Thane district after a family was advised to shift a newborn to another facility, police said on Wednesday.
What happened at the KDMC hospital?
According to the police, the incident occurred at the Shastri Nagar Hospital, run by the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC), on Monday evening. A video of the alleged assault later surfaced on social media and triggered widespread criticism. The video purportedly showed corporator Mhatre hitting the doctors and staff inside the hospital premises.
Doctors Srishti Bawiskar and Vaibhav Salunkhe had advised the relatives of a newborn to shift the baby to another facility due to a lack of space in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of their hospital.
Angered by this, the relatives contacted the corporator, who went to the hospital and allegedly abused and hit the doctors. Dr Salunkhe suffered injuries in the incident.
Hospital staff stage protest
The case was registered following outrage and pressure from the Indian Medical Association (IMA), which threatened to shut clinics and hospitals in the area if immediate action was not taken. They also demanded the immediate arrest of the corporator and his supporters.
Demanding the immediate arrest of Mhatre and his associates, the hospital workers also staged a "work-stop" protest on Tuesday. A delegation of IMA Kalyan and Dombivli units representatives and leaders of the civic workers union met KDMC Commissioner Abhinav Goyal.
A case was subsequently registered against the corporator, his four male supporters, and a woman under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 132 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 121(1) (voluntarily causing hurt), 351(1) (criminal intimidation), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 189(2) (unlawful assembly) and 191(2) (rioting), police said.
Shrikant Shinde condemns attack
Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde condemned the incident and said action would be taken against those responsible. "The assault on doctors and medical staff at Shastri Nagar Hospital of the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) is highly condemnable. As a doctor myself, I know that patient service is not merely a job but a service to humanity. In extremely adverse and stressful conditions, doctors, nurses, and other health workers labor day and night for the public's service. A case has been registered in connection with this incident. No one who takes the law into their own hands will be spared, and strict action will be taken against the guilty as per the law. The party's stance on this matter is also clear. The party will not support any individual involved in this attack. Strict disciplinary action will also be taken within the party against those found guilty. As a public representative and a doctor, I stand firmly with all doctors, nurses, and medical staff at KDMC Hospital. We must all respect their safety, dignity, and right to provide service fearlessly," he said.
'Didnt' raise hand against female doctor': Sena Corporator
Meanwhile, Mhatre refuted all the claims of the alleged assault on women doctors and nurses, saying that the CCTV footage 'may look that way' due to the angle. Mhatre asserted that he did not raise a hand on any medical staff during the visit.
'I express regret over the incident of assault that took place. I state with full confidence that I did not raise my hand against the female doctor. What appears in the CCTV footage might look that way due to the camera angle. I address her informally (using "tu") because she is like a daughter to me. I am not even aware of whether she is married or not. While we were conversing, she kept talking on the phone and was not listening to our grievance; that is why I tapped her on the hand. We have been guided by Balasaheb's teachings. We have never raised a hand against women, nor will we ever do so in the future. The incident occurred due to systemic shortcomings within the hospital. We will strive to address those deficiencies. The individuals who prompted my visit there will provide further details regarding the entire incident. The people who had called me did not answer my calls. I arrived at the scene considering the gravity of the situation. They are the ones who will provide the full details," he said.
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