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- Bombay High Court cancelled bail for Shiv Sena corporator.
- Court acted suo motu, citing magistrate’s flawed bail decision.
- Doctors had planned strike; court urged reconsideration.
In a special sitting on Saturday, the Bombay High Court cancelled the bail granted to Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) corporator Ramesh Mhatre, who is accused of assaulting three doctors at a civic-run hospital. The court took suo motu cognisance of a magistrate’s order granting bail to Mhatre and four co-accused.
The development comes after doctors across Maharashtra announced plans to abstain from work on July 22 in protest against the bail granted to the accused.
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A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad held that the magistrate had failed to adequately consider the seriousness of the allegations and Mhatre’s antecedents while granting bail.
High Court Questions Magistrate’s Bail Order
The bench observed that Mhatre had allegedly led four others in attacking three doctors inside a corporation hospital, describing the assault as a serious act that had shaken the medical fraternity.
“In a case where the accused led four more persons and attacked three doctors in a corporation hospital, showing his fury against the doctors and severely beating them, we think the Magistrate has taken it lightly and has not even considered Mhatre’s antecedents,” the court noted.
The judges further said the magistrate had failed to take into account the wider impact of the incident on doctors working in government and civic hospitals.
Court Orders Mhatre To Surrender
The High Court also expressed concern that the police had sought custodial interrogation of Mhatre but the bail order imposed no meaningful conditions to ensure his cooperation with the investigation.
The bench observed that the magistrate had “virtually let go” the accused without directing him to report to the police station or imposing any mechanism to monitor his presence.
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Staying the bail order, the court directed Mhatre to surrender before the Dombivli police by 5 pm on July 19.
It further warned that if he failed to surrender or could not be traced, authorities would be free to initiate proceedings for attachment of his immovable properties in accordance with the law.
The High Court also cancelled the bail granted to Mhatre’s four co-accused.
Court Appeals To Doctors To Call Off Strike
While setting aside the bail orders, the bench urged doctors to reconsider their proposed statewide strike.
“We would appeal to all doctors in government and civic hospitals to reconsider their decision of commencing the strike on July 22 in the larger interest of society and considering their service to mankind,” Acting Chief Justice Ghuge observed.
The suo motu matter has been listed for further hearing on July 21.
Advocate Niranjan Mundargi appeared as amicus curiae, while Advocate General Milind Sathe, assisted by Chief Public Prosecutor Shishir Hiray, represented the Maharashtra government.
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