Shiv Sena corporator arrested for assaulting doctors, hospitalised after chest pain
Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre along with a few men assaulted two doctors and nurses inside a civic-run hospital in Maharashtra's Dombivli.
A Shiv Sena corporator, Ramesh Mhatre, was arrested by Maharashtra Police on Wednesday, days after he assaulted two doctors inside a municipal hospital in Maharashtra's Kalyan-Dombivli area.
Hours after his arrest, corporator Mhatre complained of chest pain and high blood pressure while in police custody and was shifted to Thane Civil Hospital for treatment.
The arrest comes after a CCTV video of the incident, which took place at a civic-run hospital in Dombivli on Monday, surfaced on social media and triggered widespread outrage and protests among the medical fraternity.
According to hospital authorities, the incident began after a woman underwent a caesarean section for childbirth. Doctors found that the newborn required specialised treatment as the umbilical cord was wrapped twice around the baby's neck. However, authorities said the hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) was full, making it impossible to admit the infant.
Doctors then advised the family to shift the baby to another hospital for further treatment. They alleged that the patient's relatives subsequently contacted corporator Mhatre. As the doctors were attending to other patients and could not answer his calls, the corporator arrived at the hospital along with several associates.
CCTV footage showed Mhatre and a group of men entering the hospital and assaulting the two gynaecologists -- Dr Srushti Baviskar and Dr Vaibhav Salunkhe. The doctors also alleged that the corporator verbally abused them without first understanding the medical circumstances surrounding the case.
Dr Salunkhe sustained injuries in the attack, while two nurses, Namita Ubale and Dravya Giri, who intervened to protect the doctors, were also pushed and manhandled during the incident.
The doctors further claimed that while leaving the hospital, Mhatre threatened them and other staff members, saying, "Come outside the hospital, I will finish you".
Mhatre, however, expressed regret over the incident but denied assaulting the female doctor.
"I regret the physical altercation that took place. I state with full confidence that I did not raise my hand against the female doctor. What appears in the CCTV footage might look that way due to the camera angle," he said.
Claiming that he addressed the doctor informally because he regarded her "like a daughter", Mhatre said he merely tapped her hand while trying to speak to her. "While we were conversing, she kept talking on the phone and was not listening to our grievance, so I tapped her hand," he said.
The corporator attributed the confrontation to alleged shortcomings in the hospital's functioning and said efforts would be made to address them.
The assault was immediately escalated to Municipal Commissioner Abhinav Goyal, and a police complaint was subsequently filed against the Shiv Sena leader and his associates.
The assault sparked protests by doctors, who demanded strict action against Mhatre and his associates and warned that they would not resume work until a case was registered and arrests were made. Police launched an investigation after reviewing the CCTV footage and subsequently arrested Mhatre.
Meanwhile, Thane Lok Sabha MP Naresh Mhaske issued a statement from Delhi, distancing the party from the corporator's actions and confirming that internal disciplinary proceedings have been initiated.
"The party has not supported the incident that occurred, nor will it ever support it. The assault was indeed committed by Mhatre. Even though he is a senior leader who has been elected five to six times, the party will not condone this behaviour," Mhaske stated.
He said the party leadership has served a show-cause notice to the accused corporator.
A Shiv Sena corporator, Ramesh Mhatre, was arrested by Maharashtra Police on Wednesday, days after he assaulted two doctors inside a municipal hospital in Maharashtra's Kalyan-Dombivli area.
Hours after his arrest, corporator Mhatre complained of chest pain and high blood pressure while in police custody and was shifted to Thane Civil Hospital for treatment.
The arrest comes after a CCTV video of the incident, which took place at a civic-run hospital in Dombivli on Monday, surfaced on social media and triggered widespread outrage and protests among the medical fraternity.
According to hospital authorities, the incident began after a woman underwent a caesarean section for childbirth. Doctors found that the newborn required specialised treatment as the umbilical cord was wrapped twice around the baby's neck. However, authorities said the hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) was full, making it impossible to admit the infant.
Doctors then advised the family to shift the baby to another hospital for further treatment. They alleged that the patient's relatives subsequently contacted corporator Mhatre. As the doctors were attending to other patients and could not answer his calls, the corporator arrived at the hospital along with several associates.
CCTV footage showed Mhatre and a group of men entering the hospital and assaulting the two gynaecologists -- Dr Srushti Baviskar and Dr Vaibhav Salunkhe. The doctors also alleged that the corporator verbally abused them without first understanding the medical circumstances surrounding the case.
Dr Salunkhe sustained injuries in the attack, while two nurses, Namita Ubale and Dravya Giri, who intervened to protect the doctors, were also pushed and manhandled during the incident.
The doctors further claimed that while leaving the hospital, Mhatre threatened them and other staff members, saying, "Come outside the hospital, I will finish you".
Mhatre, however, expressed regret over the incident but denied assaulting the female doctor.
"I regret the physical altercation that took place. I state with full confidence that I did not raise my hand against the female doctor. What appears in the CCTV footage might look that way due to the camera angle," he said.
Claiming that he addressed the doctor informally because he regarded her "like a daughter", Mhatre said he merely tapped her hand while trying to speak to her. "While we were conversing, she kept talking on the phone and was not listening to our grievance, so I tapped her hand," he said.
The corporator attributed the confrontation to alleged shortcomings in the hospital's functioning and said efforts would be made to address them.
The assault was immediately escalated to Municipal Commissioner Abhinav Goyal, and a police complaint was subsequently filed against the Shiv Sena leader and his associates.
The assault sparked protests by doctors, who demanded strict action against Mhatre and his associates and warned that they would not resume work until a case was registered and arrests were made. Police launched an investigation after reviewing the CCTV footage and subsequently arrested Mhatre.
Meanwhile, Thane Lok Sabha MP Naresh Mhaske issued a statement from Delhi, distancing the party from the corporator's actions and confirming that internal disciplinary proceedings have been initiated.
"The party has not supported the incident that occurred, nor will it ever support it. The assault was indeed committed by Mhatre. Even though he is a senior leader who has been elected five to six times, the party will not condone this behaviour," Mhaske stated.
He said the party leadership has served a show-cause notice to the accused corporator.
