Thane: A Shiv Sena corporator and five others have been booked for allegedly assaulting doctors and hospital staff at a civic-run hospital in Maharashtra’s Thane district after a family was advised to shift a newborn to another medical facility due to the unavailability of an intensive care bed.
The incident took place on Monday evening at Shastri Nagar Hospital, operated by the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC). A video of the alleged assault later surfaced on social media, drawing sharp criticism and raising concerns over the safety of healthcare workers.
Referral over NICU shortage triggers confrontation
According to police, doctors Srishti Bawiskar and Vaibhav Salunkhe had informed the newborn’s family that the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) had no vacant beds and advised them to move the baby to another hospital for treatment.
Upset over the referral, the family reportedly contacted Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Sukrya Mhatre. Police alleged that Mhatre arrived at the hospital with supporters, verbally abused the doctors and physically assaulted members of the medical staff. Dr Vaibhav Salunkhe sustained injuries during the incident.
Doctors protest, IMA demands immediate action
The incident triggered protests by hospital employees, who staged a work-stop agitation demanding the immediate arrest of the corporator and those accompanying him.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) also condemned the attack and warned of closing clinics and hospitals across the area if prompt legal action was not taken. Representatives of the IMA’s Kalyan and Dombivli units met KDMC Commissioner Abhinav Goyal to press for strict action.
Police subsequently registered a case against Mhatre, four male supporters and a woman under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including charges related to assault on a public servant, voluntarily causing hurt, criminal intimidation, unlawful assembly and rioting.
Shrikant Shinde condemns violence
Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde described the assault as “highly condemnable” and said no one taking the law into their own hands would be spared. He also announced that the party would not support anyone found guilty and promised disciplinary action against those involved.
Corporator denies assaulting woman doctor
Mhatre, however, denied allegations that he assaulted women doctors or nurses. He said the CCTV footage may have created a misleading impression because of the camera angle.
Expressing regret over the incident, he maintained that he only tapped a woman doctor’s hand while trying to get her attention and insisted he had never assaulted any female medical staff. He also blamed shortcomings in the hospital system for the confrontation while claiming he had visited the hospital after being contacted by the newborn’s relatives.
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