Thane:
Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) corporator Ramesh Mhatre has been arrested for the alleged assault on doctors and other medical staff at a civic hospital in Maharashtra’s Thane district. The incident occurred on the evening of July 6 at Shastri Nagar Hospital, run by the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) in Dombivli.
Police registered a case against Mhatre and five others on Tuesday night. He was taken into custody from his residence on Wednesday.
According to hospital officials, the events began when doctors Srishti Baviskar and Vaibhav Salunkhe advised relatives of a newborn to shift the baby to another facility. The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the hospital was full, and the doctors cited the need for appropriate care for the infant.
READ | Seen Hitting Woman Doctor On Video, Sena Leader’s ‘Did Nothing Wrong’ Response
The relatives contacted Mhatre, who arrived at the hospital with associates. Video footage from the hospital, which circulated widely on social media, shows Mhatre approaching a woman doctor from behind as she holds a mobile phone. He strikes her with force, causing the phone to fall. He and his supporters then turn on other staff members. Images after the incident show hospital workers in distress.
Salunkhe sustained injuries during the assault.
Ramesh Mhatre’s Response
Speaking to NDTV, Mhatre denied assaulting the doctor. The corporator showed no remorse and stated that he would not apologise over the incident.
“I did not attack the woman doctor at the hospital,” the corporator insisted, adding that he only hit the doctor’s hand to get her off the phone as “she was not listening to our complaint.”
“I slapped her phone as she was not listening to us. I only tried to get her off the phone,” Mhatre told NDTV.
“Our action saved the life of a woman and her child. We don’t care about anything else,” he said.
In a 26-minute interview with NDTV, he maintained that he had not attacked the doctor, described her as arrogant, and said he would not apologise. He suggested that if the doctors apologised for their behaviour, he would express regret.
Mother’s Reaction
Sangeeta Baviskar, the mother of Shruti Baviskar, applauded Mhatre’s arrest but called for “transparency”.
“We are happy with Mhatre’s arrest, but there must be complete transparency in the proceedings,” she said. “It was heartbreaking to see my daughter being beaten. There was no negligence on her part. Serving people is a noble profession. My daughter was just explaining the right thing.”
Political Reactions
Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, son of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and a doctor himself, condemned the assault. In a post on X, he said the actions were “highly condemnable”.
“A case has been registered in connection with this incident. No one who takes the law into their own hands will be spared, and strict action will be taken against the guilty as per the law,” Shinde wrote. He added that the party would not support any individual involved in the attack and that strict disciplinary action would be taken within the party.
Opposition figures criticised the ruling alliance. Maharashtra Congress President Harshwardhan Sapkal described the corporator’s actions as “thuggery” and linked them to “intoxication of power”.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray questioned whether Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis would tolerate such behaviour from an ally and called for the corporator’s arrest and dismissal.
The Federation of All India Medical Associations’ (FAIMA) Chief Patron Rohan Krishnan said it was “deeply unfortunate” and highlighted the constant fear under which doctors work, contributing to mental stress and suicides. FAIMA stated that doctors cannot be held responsible for systemic issues such as the lack of NICU beds and urged the Maharashtra government to take decisive action within 24 hours.
