Shiv Sena councilor Ramesh Mhatre has been sent to police custody till July 13 on charges of assaulting doctors at Shastri Nagar Hospital in Dombivali. 73-year-old Mhatre denied the allegations and said that it was visible in the CCTV footage because of the camera angle.
Dombivali (Maharashtra) [भारत]July 10 (ANI): A Kalyan court on Friday sent Shiv Sena councilor Ramesh Mhatre to police custody till July 13 in the case of attack on doctors and nurses at Shastri Nagar Hospital in Dombivali. He was produced before the Welfare Sessions Court today after being discharged from Thane Civil Hospital, where doctors had declared him medically stable and fit for discharge.
Lawyer said- the matter was given political color
Ramesh Mhatre’s lawyer MK Kazi said, “This case has been politicized. The police had sought five-day police custody, but we opposed it. The court has granted police custody till July 13. We had filed an application stating that Ramesh Mhatre is 73 years old and survives on one kidney, so he needs medical treatment every 6 hours. The court has considered this application and has directed the police to take him if he feels ill. Medical treatment should be provided to them.”
Four accused arrested so far
Mhatre was arrested on Wednesday under sections 132 and 121(1) in connection with a case registered at Vishnu Nagar police station in Dombivali. Police said that so far four accused have been arrested in this case.
On Thursday, a court in Kalyan had rejected Mhatre’s plea seeking his appearance in the court through video conferencing. The court said that his presence through video conferencing would not suffice, and his physical presence before the court is necessary for further proceedings.
Mhatre clarified on the allegations
The case pertains to the alleged attack on doctors and nurses at Shastri Nagar Hospital in Dombivali on July 6, which had sparked widespread outrage in the medical fraternity. Earlier, Mhatre had refuted all claims of alleged attacks on female doctors and nurses, saying the CCTV footage “may look like that” due to the angle.
Mhatre insisted that he did not raise his hand on any medical staff during the visit. He said, “I regret the incident of assault. I say with full confidence that I did not raise my hand on the lady doctor. What is seen in the CCTV footage may appear to be so because of the camera angle. I address her informally (by calling her ‘tu’) because she is like my daughter. I do not even know whether she is married or not. While we were talking, she kept talking on the phone and was not listening to our complaint; That’s why I have received guidance from Balasaheb, and will never do so in the future. The people who called me did not respond to the incident. (ANI)
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