Supreme Court has directed Ramesh Mhatre to surrender within three days
On Aug 7, HC had fast-tracked the trial and granted bail to Mhatre and three others who were arrested for allegedly assaulting doctors, including a woman doctor, at Shastri Nagar Municipal Hospital in Dombivli on July 6. He pointed out that the trial was underway before a magistrate with two prosecution witnesses having deposed and a woman doctor to depose on Oct 3. On July 27, in its initial order, the HC had come down on Mhatre and police. Then ACJ Ghuge had noted that Mhatre was arrested 48 hours after the alleged assault.
Surprising that a person who goes to voters and says ‘vote for me, I want to serve you’. ..after winning, starts beating people,” he had said, while hearing pleas filed by the corporator and others seeking bail on any stringent condition HC deemed fit. The endeavour should be to complete the trial in three months once the charge is framed, the HC said. However, all four were to remain outside Maharashtra till criminal trial was to begin. Mhatre cooperated with the probe and trial, SC was informed. The HC bench, led by then Acting Chief Justice R V Ghuge, had taken the matter suo motu, observing the seriousness of the assaults. “Why do you (Mhatre) behave like this? Why beat the public? They are your voters. “Even in public life, you are for the public, are here for the public. The HC had also framed a timeline for the probe and prosecution to proceed swiftly and the time to be spent outside Maharashtra for all four would likely be a month.
Mumbai: The Supreme Court on Monday set aside the Bombay High Court order granting bail to Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre (73) in a case of assault on doctors at a Dombivli municipal hospital, and warned that members of the medical fraternity cannot be assaulted at will in such a manner. Mhatre was directed to surrender within three days. The maximum sentence under the law is five years’ imprisonment for the main offence in the case and there was no obstruction caused in the trial, Mhatre’s counsel also submitted.