Bombay High Court grants bail to Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre, three others in Dombivli doctors’ assault case

The Bombay High Court has granted bail to Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre and three other accused in connection with the alleged assault of doctors and medical staff at a civic hospital in Dombivli.

The court, while granting bail, has imposed strict conditions on the four accused. They have been directed to reside outside Maharashtra until the trial begins. The High Court has also ordered that the trial be fast-tracked.

The court further directed the authorities to appoint a Special Public Prosecutor for the case and said the prosecutor should not be replaced midway through the trial.

What happened at the Dombivli hospital?

The case relates to an incident at Shastri Nagar Municipal Hospital in Dombivli on July 6, when Mhatre and his associates allegedly assaulted doctors and hospital staff following a dispute involving the treatment of a newborn.

According to reports, doctors had advised that the newborn be shifted to another medical facility as the hospital's NICU was full. The situation allegedly escalated after the family approached Mhatre.

Mhatre and his associates allegedly confronted the doctors and hospital staff, with the incident involving a woman doctor and other medical personnel. CCTV footage of the alleged assault subsequently emerged, triggering widespread outrage among doctors and healthcare workers.

Following the incident, doctors and nurses protested and suspended routine services at the civic hospital, while emergency services continued.

Mhatre's first bail and High Court intervention

Mhatre was arrested in connection with the case and was initially granted bail by a Kalyan magistrate court on July 14.

However, the Bombay High Court later took suo motu cognisance of the bail order following the controversy surrounding the case. During a special sitting, the High Court stayed the lower court's bail order, citing the gravity and seriousness of the alleged offence and concerns regarding the lower court's order.

The High Court also took note of Mhatre's criminal antecedents. It directed him to surrender to the police.

Mhatre subsequently surrendered before the Vishnu Nagar Police in Dombivli.

The earlier bail controversy had also intensified anger among sections of the medical fraternity, with doctors protesting against the relief granted to the accused and raising concerns over the safety of healthcare workers.

Fresh bail with strict conditions

The latest Bombay High Court order now grants bail to Mhatre and three other accused, but with stringent safeguards.

Apart from directing them to stay outside Maharashtra until the trial begins, the court has ordered a fast-track trial.

The court has also sought continuity in the prosecution by directing that a Special Public Prosecutor be appointed and that the prosecutor not be changed midway through the proceedings.

The allegations against Mhatre and the other accused have not been established in court. The grant of bail does not amount to an acquittal, and the prosecution will have to prove its case during the trial.

The case has become a flashpoint in the wider debate over violence against doctors and the safety of medical staff working in government and civic hospitals.