Mumbai: One of the doctors allegedly assaulted by Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) leader Ramesh Mhatre at a municipal hospital in Maharashtra’s Thane district has resigned from his post, saying he fears for his safety and has permanently left the city.
Speaking to NDTV, the doctor said the incident had left him deeply shaken and that he no longer felt secure enough to continue working at the hospital.
“I have resigned because there is a lot of fear. Goons are watching us, and I have already left the city. They are very dangerous people. The other doctors may continue working there, but I cannot. I will not go back there again,” the doctor said.
The incident occurred on July 6 at Shastri Nagar Hospital, operated by the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation in Dombivli.
Hospital authorities said the dispute began after two doctors, a man and a woman, advised the family of a newborn to shift the infant to another medical facility because the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) was already at full capacity. The doctors reportedly informed the family that the transfer was necessary to ensure proper treatment for the baby.
Following the advice, the relatives allegedly contacted local Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre, who arrived at the hospital along with several supporters.
CCTV footage of the incident, which later surfaced online, showed Mhatre and his associates first arguing with doctors and hospital staff and then thrashing them mercilessly. During the confrontation, the corporator struck the mobile phone of a woman doctor while she was speaking, causing it to fall. The video also showed him allegedly assaulting another doctor and members of the hospital staff. One of the doctors reportedly sustained injuries in the incident.
Despite the outrageous conduct at hospital, Mhatre defended his actions. Speaking to NDTV, he denied assaulting the woman doctor, claiming that he only pushed away her mobile phone because she was not responding to them.
He also refused to apologise, asserting that his intervention helped save the lives of a woman and her newborn. Mhatre further stated that he would consider expressing regret only if the doctors apologised for their conduct, adding that Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray had taught party workers to fight against injustice.
Police registered a case against Mhatre and five of his associates. He was later arrested and subsequently admitted to Thane Civil Hospital after he reportedly complained of health problems.
(IANS)
