In connection with the assault and abuse of a female receptionist at a doctor's clinic in Dombivli, the main accused and his brother were arrested late Tuesday night. The accused was produced in court and remanded to police custody for two days.
According to police, the accused were brought to court on Wednesday under heavy security to prevent any untoward incident. The main accused have been identified as Gokul Jha and his brother Ranjit Jha.
The incident occurred on Monday at a pediatric clinic in Nandivli, Dombivli. Gokul Jha (25), along with his family, had brought an unwell child to the clinic for a check-up.
Police said the accused and his relatives had been waiting for a long time when Gokul saw the doctor speaking with a medical representative (MR). He reportedly became agitated and tried to force his way into the doctor’s cabin.
As per the FIR, receptionist Sonali Kalasare stopped him and informed him that his turn had not yet come, requesting that he wait. Enraged, he allegedly abused her and physically assaulted her by kicking her and pulling her hair.
Another viral video from the incident shows the receptionist being slapped by another woman, identified as a family member of the accused.
The accused’s mother told the media, “The receptionist first slapped my daughter-in-law in the clinic. My son Gokul went to speak with the doctor because my granddaughter was crying and having difficulty breathing. When he tried to enter the cabin, the receptionist abused him. Later, I pulled my son out of the clinic. Meanwhile, the receptionist came out and slapped my daughter-in-law. In retaliation, my son assaulted her. Only the video of my son hitting her went viral, not the one showing her slapping my daughter-in-law. My elder son has done nothing wrong.”
The accused’s lawyer told the media, “This is not a Marathi vs non-Marathi issue. The incident happened in a moment of anger.”
Police said that during the investigation, it was found that three previous criminal cases, including bodily offenses, had been registered against the accused at three different police stations.
DCP Atul Zende of Kalyan said, “We will apply additional sections if needed during the probe. The victim is currently hospitalized and undergoing treatment. We are seizing CCTV footage from the clinic, recording witness statements, and collecting the medical certificate. Further investigation is underway.”
