Bombay High Court Rebukes Shiv Sena Corporator Over Assault Incident

The Bombay High Court issued a stern reprimand on Monday to Ramesh Mhatre, a Shiv Sena Corporator, who is facing allegations of assaulting medical professionals at a municipal hospital in Dombivli. The court emphasized that elected officials should not resort to violence against those they are meant to serve. This statement came during a hearing of a suo motu petition following Mhatre's release on bail after his arrest related to the incident. A division bench, comprising Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad, denied Mhatre any interim relief and ordered that the investigation be transferred to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) for the relevant area. The DCP has been instructed to provide a status report by July 31. Chief Justice Ghuge expressed disbelief at Mhatre's actions, questioning why someone who seeks public support would engage in such violent behavior. He remarked, 'You are in public life, for the public and to serve the public, why do you behave like this? Why to beat the public?' The Chief Justice's comments highlighted the contradiction between Mhatre's role as a public servant and his alleged actions, which included physically assaulting individuals he was elected to represent.

The court's scrutiny extended to the details of the alleged assault, which was reportedly captured on video. The judges noted that Mhatre did not hesitate in his attack, stating he 'did not waste even half a second' while confronting a doctor. They dismissed the defense's argument that Mhatre's age of 73 should result in leniency, pointing out that he appeared to be 'almost jumping over the table' during the incident. Additionally, the High Court criticized the initial police investigation, suggesting that it lacked thoroughness and that the officers had shown undue deference to Mhatre by allowing him to appear before a magistrate via video conferencing for his remand. The court expressed concern that the investigation had not been conducted with the seriousness it warranted, given the nature of the allegations.