Mumbai
oi-Ashish Rana
Vishnu Nagar Police on Wednesday arrested Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre in the case of an alleged assault on doctors at Shastri Nagar Hospital in Thane. The arrest follows a day of anger over the incident from the medical profession. Three of Mhatre’s associates were also detained earlier on Wednesday for allegedly taking part in the attack.
In Thane, Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre was arrested by Vishnu Nagar Police for allegedly assaulting doctors at Shastri Nagar Hospital following a patient transfer dispute, with three associates also detained under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Sections 132 and 121(1).
Delivery Complications Led to Hospital Dispute
Police say the incident began when a woman in her ninth month of pregnancy got into trouble and was taken to the hospital. Her family reportedly received word from doctors that the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) was full and her family was advised to transfer the patient to another medical centre for more specialised care.
Things got worse when Mhatre was apprised of the case. He came to the hospital with a few supporters and allegedly beat doctors who were working there, investigators said.
Police Register Case, Associates Also Arrested
In response, the Vishnu Nagar Police had registered a case against Mhatre under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Sections 132 and 121(1). The three co-accused arrested earlier have been remanded to police custody as the investigation continues, authorities confirmed.
The alleged attack has triggered severe criticism from doctors’ associations and health care professionals, who are calling for action against the perpetrators of the violence within the hospital.
Opposition Leaders Meet Doctors
After the incident, Aaditya Thackeray and Rohit Pawar went to Shastri Nagar Hospital to meet the injured doctors and their families. The leaders denounced the alleged assault and showed solidarity with the medical personnel.
Speaking after the visit, Aaditya Thackeray demanded strict action against the corporator, stating that “strict action must be taken against Mhatre, he should be expelled from Shiv Sena and must be barred from fighting any election in the future.”
Investigation Underway
The police are still investigating the incident and are looking into the involvement of everyone at the scene of the alleged assault. The case has brought back to the fore questions about the safety of health care workers and the prevalence of violence against health care workers while on duty.
