Mumbai: In a suo motu action, Bombay High Court took up the matter of an assault on doctors of a civic hospital in Dombivli and stayed the bail granted to Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre and other co-accused. The HC directed Mhatre, who was already released, to surrender by July 19 by 5 pm. The co-accused was still behind bars and would remain there, the HC division bench of acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad said. The HC said it was “disturbed” on reading the news about the alleged incident.Police arrested Mhatre for allegedly slapping and punching a doctor and assaulting a resident medical officer. A local court granted Mhatre bail on Tuesday, July 14.The HC said, “…in the labour ward of Shastri Nagar Hospital, Dombivli, a lady doctor and two male doctors were physically brutally assaulted by persons, namely, Ramesh Mhatre, Ramesh Pawar, Pramod alias Prakash Nikam and Akshay Karande… There has been an uproar from the masses… to the beating of doctors on duty. The present incident is more grave because a lady doctor was also assaulted and it is reported that she has resigned out of fear,” HC said in its detailed order.“We find from the order granting bail that the magistrate did not even notice that the accused was not even interrogated after recording his first statement,” said the ACJ-led bench at a special hearing on Saturday.The bench, after hearing Maharashtra Advocate General Milind Sathe, who said since the HC has taken note of the matter an appeal be made to ensure doctors don’t go on proposed strike, agreed and requested aggrieved doctors to hold off on any strike or …protest as patients would be affected.“We would appeal to all the doctors who are in govt service or working in the municipal corporation hospitals or state instrumentalities to reconsider their decision of commencing the strike in the larger interest of the society and considering service to mankind,” said ACJ Ghuge.Doctors, especially those working in civic and govt hospitals, decided to resort to a strike on July 20.On the issue of bail granted to Mhatre, the HC said, “In a case where accused Mhatre led more accused and attacked three doctors in a municipal hospital, showing his fury against doctors, it could not have been taken lightly by the magistrate, more so in the backdrop of 18 offences registered against him in the past.”The HC said, “After considering the submissions of the learned APP and the learned Advocate General, we have to consider as to whether the learned magistrate has really taken into account the antecedents of number accused number 1 and the history of the offences committed by him.”“Even though he was acquitted in 17 cases, the court ought to have considered the fact that he was named in 18 cases, some of which were of very serious and heinous nature,” the bench remarked.Considering the overall impact of the conduct of Mhatre and the effect that his actions have had on the medical professionals, especially the doctors working in municipal and govt hospitals and are employees of the state govt, “prima facie we do not find that the magistrate could have passed an order which does not even deal with the antecedents of the accused and the assault he caused on the three doctors,” HC said in court at hearing.The HC issued an operative part of the order that said, “Considering the gravity and seriousness of the issue and the perversity noticed in the impugned orders dated July 14.07. 2026, and July 17.07. 2026, both the orders stand stayed and shall be kept in abeyance until further hearing and orders.”The HC directed Mhatre to surrender to the Vishnunagar police station, Dombivli West, before July 19, 5 pm in order to be remanded to magisterial custody. If he does not surrender or is not traceable, the authorities would be at liberty to follow the due procedure, including for initiating steps for attaching his immovable properties, directed the HC.The HC referred to a list of newspaper articles and said a compilation of newspaper items pertaining to the physical assault against one lady and two male doctors published between July 8 and July 18 in publications including The Times of India is taken on record.The HC posted the matter next on July 22.
