Kalyan: The complainant in the July 6 Shastri Nagar Hospital assault case, Dr Vaibhav Salunkhe, began recording his testimony against Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre and others before a fast-track court in Kalyan on Tuesday.
The examination of Salunkhe was originally scheduled for September 29 but was postponed after he cited health issues. He informed the court that he had resigned from his job through an email on July 11. Media reports had claimed that he had been threatened after the incident and was frightened as a result.
He said he had not received threatening phone calls but was under considerable mental stress following the incident, which prompted him to leave for his hometown. Salunkhe was brought to court under heavy police security. Salunkhe narrated the sequence of events to the court. During the recording of Salunkhe’s testimony, the judge specifically asked him whether he had been threatened, which he denied. The issue had come under the Bombay high court’s scrutiny following the reports. The high court had directed the DCP to investigate the allegations and submit a report. The special court referred to the high court-directed inquiry while questioning Salunkhe about the alleged threats. The police report and its findings also came up during Tuesday’s proceedings.
His testimony will continue on Wednesday as its recording could not be completed after a power outage interrupted court proceedings.
Mhatre is lodged in Adharwadi jail in accordance with a Supreme Court order in the case.