The High Court questioned the magistrate’s bail order, directed the accused to surrender, and appealed to doctors to reconsider their proposed statewide strike.
In a special sitting on Saturday, the Bombay High Court cancelled the bail granted to Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) corporator Ramesh Mhatre and four co-accused in the alleged assault on three doctors at a civic-run hospital. Taking suo motu cognisance of the magistrate’s bail order, the court held that the seriousness of the allegations and Mhatre’s criminal antecedents had not been properly considered while granting relief.
A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad observed that Mhatre had allegedly led a group of four others in attacking doctors inside a municipal hospital, calling the incident a grave offence that had deeply disturbed the medical community. The court also noted that despite the police seeking custodial interrogation, the bail order imposed no effective conditions to ensure the accused’s cooperation with the investigation.
The High Court directed Mhatre to surrender before the Dombivli Police by 5 pm on July 19 and warned that legal proceedings, including attachment of his immovable properties, could be initiated if he failed to comply. The court also revoked the bail granted to the four co-accused. At the same time, the bench appealed to doctors in government and civic hospitals to reconsider their proposed statewide strike on July 22 in the larger public interest. The matter has been listed for further hearing on July 21.