‘Those Who Attack Doctors Don’t Deserve Bail’: Supreme Court Raps Shiv Sena Corporator Over Hospital Assault

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday orally observed that "those who assault doctors are not entitled to bail," while hearing Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre's plea challenging the Bombay High Court's strict bail conditions in his case.

The Kalyan-Dombivli corporator was granted bail by the Bombay High Court on August 7 with the condition to stay outside Maharashtra until the chargesheet in the case is filed.

Coming down heavily, the SC said, “This is a case where you should have been put in detention. Medical personnel are threatened like this, who will come to the aid of people at large? Absolutely not justified. This kind of people don't deserve it (bail).”

During the hearing, the Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and AG Masih emphasised that incidents of assaulting doctors inside hospitals cannot be taken lightly.

"Would you go in a hospital and hit just anyone? Those who assault doctors are not entitled to bail. They have no respect for the medical fraternity. Imagine the mental trauma caused when a mob attacks," the apex court said, as reported by NDTV.

Bail conditions imposed on Mhatre

As part of the bail conditions, Mhatre and the three co-accused have been asked to report to the local police station three times a week in the state where they choose to stay until the chargesheet is filed.

During the hearing, Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Mhatre, argued that the High Court was wrong to take suo motu cognizance and stay the bail order. He questioned how a suo motu proceeding could have been initiated against an order granting bail.

The bench rejected this submission and indicated that it would uphold the first order passed by the High Court, which had stayed the bail granted to Mhatre, Live Law reported.

Case dates back to July

For the unversed, the case dates back to July 6, when at Shastri Nagar General Hospital in Dombivli, Shiv Sena corporator Mhatre and five of his associates allegedly assaulted two contractual doctors and two nurses.

According to the doctors, the altercation started after a pregnant woman was referred to Mumbai’s Sion Hospital for delivery because the facility’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) had no available beds.

Doctors Vaibhav Salunkhe and Shrusti Baviskar alleged that Mhatre verbally abused and assaulted them without first understanding the medical reasons behind the referral. The alleged assault was captured on CCTV cameras.