Palghar Hospital Assault Case: Bombay HC Raps Police Over ‘Lethargic’ Probe, Orders Konkan IG To Supervise

The Bombay High Court recently criticized the Palghar police for their "lethargic" investigation into an alleged assault on doctors at a hospital on September 6. The court directed the Special Inspector General (Konkan Range) to personally oversee the probe and submit a report by September 17. The court's concern stemmed from the spot panchnama, which seemed to be a mere reproduction of statements without any crucial evidence collected from the crime scene.

The bench also questioned the handling of evidence, particularly the removal of a saline bottle from one of the patients in the ICU, which was not mentioned in the panchnama. The court expressed worry over the way evidence was being gathered, stating that the prosecution was failing due to these issues. Out of the 10 individuals named in the FIR, nine were absconding, and three were granted anticipatory bail but had their interim relief rejected.

Police had arrested 12 additional unidentified persons based on CCTV footage, making the total number of arrests 13. Despite the state claiming its seriousness about the matter, the court described its actions as superficial and potentially benefiting the accused.