A court in Maharashtra’s Kalyan on Tuesday granted bail to Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre, who was arrested for allegedly assaulting doctors and staff at a civic hospital in Dombivli, Bar and Bench reported.
Mhatre had been remanded to judicial custody on Monday after his police custody ended. His lawyer filed a bail application, which was heard on Tuesday.
The police opposed the plea, arguing that Mhatre's release could endanger the complainant doctor. They cited his alleged criminal record, including multiple first information reports registered against him, Bar and Bench reported.
The alleged assault on members of the medical profession warranted rejection of the bail application, the police further argued.
However, Mhatre's lawyer said that in almost all the cases cited by the police, the corporator had either been acquitted or the proceedings had been quashed, and that only one criminal case was currently pending against him.
His lawyer also said that the court could impose conditions to address the concerns raised by the police.
The court was also told that Mhatre has only one kidney and suffers from multiple ailments, Bar and Bench reported.
After hearing both sides, the court granted Mhatre bail on a bond of Rs 50,000.
The case relates to Mhatre and his associates allegedly assaulting doctors at Shastri Nagar Hospital on July 6 after they asked the family of a pregnant woman to transfer her to another hospital because there were no beds available in the neonatal intensive care unit, which the newborn was expected to require.
The family contacted Mhatre, a municipal corporator from the Shiv Sena faction led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who arrived at the hospital with his supporters, according to the police.
Surveillance camera footage shared on social media showed the corporator and his associates punching and slapping the hospital staff.
Mhatre had been absconding until he surrendered to the police on July 8.
After complaining of health problems, he was taken to hospital before being formally arrested following his discharge. Three of his associates had been arrested earlier.
The police have registered a case against Mhatre and his associates under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita pertaining to assaulting a public servant, voluntarily causing hurt, criminal intimidation, unlawful assembly and rioting.
At least one of the doctors allegedly assaulted in the incident has resigned, saying he no longer feels safe returning to work.
Edited by Tanya Shrivastava.
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