Ramesh Mhatre surrenders after Supreme Court cancels bail in doctor assault case

Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre and three other accused individuals have surrendered to a trial court in Thane district following a Supreme Court order to cancel their bail. The group—comprising Mhatre, Ramesh Pawar, Pramod (alias Prakash) Nikam, and Akshay Sharad Karande—was subsequently remanded to judicial custody at Adharwadi Jail in Kalyan.

The case stems from a July 6 incident at Shastri Nagar Municipal Hospital in Dombivli, where three doctors, including a woman, were allegedly verbally abused and physically assaulted while working in the labour ward. The confrontation reportedly began after relatives of a pregnant patient accused hospital staff of delaying treatment.

The Supreme Court overturned a previous Bombay High Court decision that had granted bail. In its ruling, the bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta emphasized that medical professionals must be able to perform their duties without the threat of violence, intimidation, or coercion. The court noted that physical violence is not an acceptable means of expressing dissatisfaction with medical outcomes. Additionally, the justices highlighted that lower courts had failed to adequately consider Mhatre’s criminal history, which includes 18 registered cases involving serious offenses such as murder and attempted murder.