'Even When He Sleeps, He Sees Sena Corporator': Lawyer Of Assaulted Doctor

One of the doctors who was threatened and assaulted during the attack at a municipal hospital in Maharashtra's Dombivli is living in fear, has not returned to the city where he worked, and continues to suffer from trauma more than a month after the incident, his lawyer told NDTV.

Advocate Ajinkya Adsul, who represents Dr Vaibhav Salunkhe, said his client remains deeply shaken by the events of July 6 and is struggling to move on even after the Bombay High Court granted bail to Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre and the other accused.

"My client has been in trauma since the day of the incident," Adsul said. "We do not know whether those were threat calls or calls for some other reason, but he received more than 95 calls, which has added to his fear and trauma."

The lawyer said the doctor continues to suffer from medical ailments linked to the incident.

"Immediately after the incident, he left Kalyan and went to his hometown, Washim, and he is still there. He did not even go back to his PG in Kalyan, where he used to stay, even to collect his belongings," he said. 

The doctor returned to Kalyan only two days ago, solely to record his statement before investigators and identify the accused persons in the case.

Adsul said one particular statement allegedly made during the attack has continued to haunt his client. According to the lawyer, as the violence unfolded inside the hospital, Ramesh Mhatre pointed towards Dr Salunkhe and allegedly told his supporters: "Iska chehra dekh kar rakho, isko baad mein dekhenge."

"Even when he sleeps, he sees nightmares of Ramesh Mhatre. This is the level of trauma that my client is going through. My client's only demand is to live safely. He has only his mother. He does not even have a father. He has nobody else to depend on," Adsul added.

The lawyer's remarks came hours after the Bombay High Court granted bail to Mhatre and the other accused in the case.

The court ordered Mhatre to stay outside Maharashtra while the trial continues. Instead, the court directed him to stay at Nazri Resort & Lawns, a popular four-star property near Tito's Lane in the Baga-Calangute area of North Goa.

Under the bail conditions, Mhatre has been instructed to remain at the Goa resort, report to the local police station there three times every week, surrender his passport and refrain from attempting to influence witnesses connected to the case.

Mhatre was arrested on July 8 following widespread public outrage over the hospital assault. He was initially granted bail by a lower court, but that order was subsequently cancelled by the Bombay High Court, following which he surrendered on July 19 and was sent to judicial custody.

Twenty days later, the High Court granted him bail subject to the conditions imposed.

Despite the public criticism, Mhatre remained unapologetic when he spoke to NDTV after the incident.

"I slapped her (female doctor's) phone as she was not listening to us. I only tried to get her off the phone," he said. "Our action saved the life of a woman and her child. We don't care about anything else."

During a 26-minute interview with NDTV, Mhatre denied attacking the doctor, described her as arrogant and said he would not apologise for his actions.