Sena Corporator Who Assaulted Doctors Admitted To Hospital After Arrest

Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) corporator Ramesh Mhatre, arrested for the alleged assault of doctors and medical staff, has been admitted to Thane Civil Hospital after his health allegedly deteriorated, police said.

Mhatre was moved to the Thane Civil Hospital after medical services were suspended at KDMC's Rukmai and Shastrinagar hospitals.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Atul Zende of Kalyan said Mhatre was taken into custody in connection with the criminal case registered against him and his aides at Vishnunagar police station. Further investigation is underway. 

The incident took place on Monday evening at a civic-run hospital in Kalyan in Maharashtra's Thane district. A widely circulated video showed Mhatre and his aides assaulting two doctors and other staff after a family was advised to shift a newborn to another facility. 

A case was registered against Mhatre and five others on Tuesday night. The move followed public outrage and pressure from the Indian Medical Association, which had threatened to shut clinics and hospitals in the area unless action was taken promptly. Questions have been raised over whether Mhatre's health issues are genuine or whether he is receiving special treatment as an accused.

Ramesh Mhatre's Response

Speaking to NDTV earlier on Wednesday, Mhatre denied assaulting the doctor. The corporator showed no remorse and stated that he would not apologise over the incident. 

"I did not attack the woman doctor at the hospital," the corporator insisted, adding that he only hit the doctor's hand to get her off the phone as "she was not listening to our complaint."

"I slapped her phone as she was not listening to us. I only tried to get her off the phone," Mhatre told NDTV. 

"Our action saved the life of a woman and her child. We don't care about anything else," he said.

In a 26-minute interview with NDTV, he maintained that he had not attacked the doctor, described her as arrogant, and said he would not apologise. He suggested that if the doctors apologised for their behaviour, he would express regret.

Mother's Reaction

Sangeeta Baviskar, the mother of Shruti Baviskar, applauded Mhatre's arrest but called for "transparency". 

"We are happy with Mhatre's arrest, but there must be complete transparency in the proceedings," she said. "It was heartbreaking to see my daughter being beaten. There was no negligence on her part. Serving people is a noble profession. My daughter was just explaining the right thing."