Sena leader ‘who thrashed doctors’ drops plea as Supreme Court talks tough

Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Sukrya Mhatre, accused of assaulting hospital staff at Shastri Nagar hospital in Kalyan, Thane, abandoned his appeal to the Supreme Court on Monday. The court, comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, indicated their firm stance against such behaviour, stating that individuals involved in attacks on doctors and staff "do not deserve to roam on the streets even for a minute."

The Supreme Court bench pointed out another similar incident involving a group of people attacking hospital staff in Palghar over the treatment of a man injured during Dahi Handi celebrations. Seventeen Shiv Sena workers have been booked in connection with the Palghar incident. The bench emphasized that these incidents appear to be part of a common modus operandi.

During the hearing, Mhatre's senior advocate, Mukul Rohatgi, argued that the alleged attackers in the two cases did not belong to the same group. However, the court maintained that due to the ideological alignment between the groups, the message was clear: such individuals should not be allowed to roam freely on the streets.

The police had arrested Mhatre following the July 6 assault at Kalyan. Although a sessions court had granted him bail on July 14, the High Court stayed the order on July 18. It was lifted on August 7, allowing him and three others to be released under strict conditions. The assault took place after doctors recommended a pregnant woman's family to seek treatment elsewhere due to limited Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) beds. Mhatre allegedly intervened, leading to the altercation with three doctors.