Bombay High Court denies immediate bail to corporator Ramesh Mhatre in doctor assault case
Senior Counsel Aabad Ponda argued for Mhatre’s bail, stating that his client’s custody eliminates the risk of pressuring the victim or witnesses, and that the investigation is mostly complete
The Bombay High Court ruled on Friday against granting immediate bail to Ramesh Mhatre, a member of the Shiv Sena and a corporator in Dombivli, who is accused of assaulting a doctor at a municipal hospital. The court's decision came after a division bench, consisting of Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Dhuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad, examined the progress of the police investigation.
The court noted that the original complainant, Dr. Vaibhav Salunkhe, had not yet carried out the identification parade to verify the accused's identity, and that the police needed to record statements from additional witnesses and gather more evidence. The court instructed the state government to ensure the safety of Dr. Salunkhe and other witnesses in the case.
The bail application will be heard again on August 6. During the hearing, Mhatre's legal counsel argued that there would be no risk to the victim or witnesses as his client was currently in custody. He also mentioned that the investigation seemed nearly complete and proposed that Mhatre could stay outside Maharashtra for a period of four to six weeks to avoid influencing the ongoing inquiry.
The opposing counsel, representing the Dodian Medical Association, strongly opposed the bail plea, contending that Mhatre's actions had instilled fear among hospital doctors and alleging that he had a history of securing acquittals in multiple cases by exerting pressure on witnesses. The Advocate General for the State Government updated the court on the current status of the investigation, stating that a Deputy Commissioner of Police was now leading the probe, and that 26 individuals had already been questioned.
The investigation was expected to conclude with the completion of recording additional witness statements, collecting voice samples of the accused, and sending the victim's video evidence for forensic analysis within the next two weeks. The court also ensured that the identification parade for Dr. Salunkhe would be carried out under police security.
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