SC Says Medical Fraternity Can't Be Attacked, Cancels Shiv Sena Corporator's Bail

Asserting that the medical fraternity cannot be touched, the Supreme Court on Monday stayed the Bombay High Court order granting bail to Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre who was accused of assaulting doctors at a municipal hospital in Thane district. The corporator was directed to surrender within three days

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta admitted the Maharashtra government's order appeal for hearing.

“The message should go out loud and clear that the medical fraternity cannot be touched. They serve people and cannot be attacked in this manner,” it said.

There was a similar incident involving the same party after the Mhatre episode, the apex court noted.

Senior advocate Siddharth Dave, appearing for Mhatre, said two witnesses had already been examined. The complainant, a woman doctor, is to be examined on October 3, the trial has started and there is no obstruction, he said.

The bench said the Mhatre incident also shows that he was involved in 19 criminal cases including the present matter.

Dave argued that all these were politically motivated and he was acquitted in 18 of them.

Requesting for speedy trial as directed by the high court, the bench said it is not commenting anything on the direction.

On August 7, the high court granted bail to Mhatre and ordered that the trial be fast-tracked and completed in a time-bound manner.

It also granted bail to the four other accused in the alleged assault case that had triggered a massive outrage in July.

On July 6, Mhatre and the other accused gathered at the hospital and assaulted the doctors after an argument over the alleged delay in the treatment of a woman patient.

The incident took place at Shastri Nagar Hospital after family members of the pregnant woman accused hospital staff of delaying treatment.