Mumbai: A sessions court has set aside the conviction of Shiv Sena union leader Sunil Chitnis, observing that the prosecution failed to provide independent witnesses to verify an alleged incident of verbal abuse at a govt hospital. The sessions court overturned the magistrate’s 2022 ruling, which previously sentenced Chitnis to six months’ simple imprisonment for insulting the modesty of a woman. The case originated from a July 2015 meeting at Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar, where Chitnis, representing a Labour union, reportedly questioned the professional conduct of a hospital matron. The prosecution alleged that following a heated exchange during the meeting, Chitnis confronted the matron in a hospital passage and used vulgar language. While the magistrate’s court initially found Chitnis guilty, the sessions court pointed to gaps in the evidence during the appeal.
