KALYAN: A local court on Tuesday granted bail to Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre, days after his arrest for allegedly assaulting doctors and medical staff at a civic hospital in Dombivli.Mhatre had been remanded to judicial custody by the court on Monday after the expiry of his police custody. Soon after, his counsel moved a bail application, which came up for hearing on Tuesday.During the hearing, the police opposed the bail plea, arguing that Mhatre had several criminal cases registered against him in the past and sought rejection of his application.The defence, however, submitted that in almost all the earlier cases cited by the police, Mhatre had either been acquitted or the proceedings had been quashed, and that only one criminal case was currently pending against him.According to police, Mhatre and his aides allegedly attacked two doctors and other hospital staff after a family was advised to shift a newborn to another medical facility.Following public outrage and pressure from the Indian Medical Association (IMA), which warned of a shutdown of clinics and hospitals in the area if prompt action was not taken, police registered a case against Mhatre and five others.Mhatre was arrested on July 8, while three of his associates were apprehended a day earlier.After his arrest, Mhatre complained of chest pain and was admitted to the Thane District Civil Hospital.Police had sought the court’s permission to produce him via video conference, but Judicial Magistrate First Class K S Katkade at Kalyan rejected the request and directed that he be produced in person.Mhatre was subsequently brought to court from the hospital under heavy security.After hearing both sides, the court initially remanded Mhatre and the three co-accused to police custody until July 13.The four accused, along with a woman supporter, have been booked under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging duty, voluntarily causing hurt, criminal intimidation, intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace, unlawful assembly and rioting.In the aftermath of the incident, the two doctors whom Mhatre is accused of assaulting submitted their resignations.
