Thane doctor flees city in fear after assault by Shiv Sena corporator; party leaders slam Mhatre

A doctor who was assaulted by Ramesh Mhatre, a leader of the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), at a municipal hospital in Thane, Maharashtra, has resigned out of fear for his safety.

Speaking to NDTV, the doctor revealed that he has fled the city and vows "never to go back".

"I have resigned because there is a lot of fear. Goons are watching us, and I have already left the city. They are very dangerous people. The other doctors may continue working there, but I cannot. I will not go back there again," the doctor said, according to the report.

Party slams Mhatre

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has reprimanded Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre, who was arrested for allegedly assaulting a woman doctor and medical staff at a hospital in Thane district, state Industries Minister Uday Samant said on Thursday (July 9).

The incident at the Shastri Nagar Hospital run by the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation sparked massive outrage after a viral video showed Mhatre slapping and punching a helpless doctor and banging a register on his head. He is also seen hitting a female doctor on her hand.

“Our party’s line is very clear. It is inappropriate to hit a woman doctor. Many in the Shiv Sena, as well as the state health minister, have stressed that such an assault was wrong,” said Samant, who belongs to the Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

The deputy CM has appropriately reprimanded the Sena corporator, he said. “There was no political intervention, which means we are not endorsing his action,” Samant told reporters in the premises of Vidhan Bhavan.

The incident

On Monday evening at the Shastri Nagar Hospital, doctors Srishti Bawiskar and Vaibhav Salunkhe had advised the relatives of a newborn to shift the baby to another facility due to the lack of space in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Since there was no space in the NICU, the doctors pointed out that the transfer was necessary to ensure the infant received proper medical care.

Angered by this, and instead of following medical advice, the relatives contacted the Shiv Sena corporator, who promptly arrived with his aides and allegedly assaulted the doctors. Mhatre had earlier denied striking the woman doctor, claiming the CCTV footage was misleading.

While one of the doctors sustained physical injuries during the confrontation, Shiv Sena leader Ramesh Mhatre remained entirely unapologetic about the incident. Speaking to NDTV, Mhatre flatly denied committing an assault and stated firmly that he would not apologise for his behaviour.

"I did not attack the woman doctor at the hospital. I slapped her phone as she was not listening to us. I only tried to get her off the phone. Our action saved the life of a woman and her child. We don't care about anything else." After the widespread outrage and a formal complaint, the police registered a criminal case against Ramesh Mhatre and his five associates under relevant sections of the law.

Outrage, arrest and condemnation

After mounting pressure from medical bodies, the police arrested Mhatre and three of his associates in connection with the assault. Shortly after being taken into custody, Mhatre was admitted to the Thane Civil Hospital after his health reportedly deteriorated. Legal proceedings are currently paused pending his official medical clearance

However, the Opposition as well as leaders from his own party, including Kalyan MP Shrikant Shinde, had condemned the alleged assault on the woman doctor. Thane MP Naresh Mhaske said on Wednesday that the Shiv Sena leadership has served a show-cause notice to the accused corporator.

(With agency inputs)