- By Priyanka Koul
- Sun, 19 Jul 2026 05:58 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
- Ramesh Mhatre surrendered after the Bombay High Court cancelled his bail in an assault case involving a woman doctor.
- Mhatre has 18 criminal cases against him and allegedly attacked hospital staff after doctors refused to admit a newborn due to full NICU.
- The Indian Medical Association protested the incident with a 24-hour shutdown.
Doctors' Assault Case: Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) councillor Ramesh Mhatre, who was accused of assaulting a woman doctor at a hospital in Maharashtra, surrendered before the police on Sunday. The development came a day after the Bombay High Court cancelled his bail.
While cancelling his bail, the court issued a strict order directing Mhatre to surrender by 5 PM on Sunday under all circumstances. Following the order, he appeared before the police and was taken into custody.
Mhatre had been arrested on July 8 after a purported viral video showed him allegedly assaulting a female doctor and other medical staff at the KDMC government hospital in Thane. But the corporator was later granted bail on July 14.
18 Criminal Cases Against Mhatre: What High Court Observed
The case was heard by a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad. The bench rejected the bail granted to Mhatre by the Kalyan Magistrate Court, stating that the lower court had failed to properly consider his criminal history.
Mhatre had 18 criminal cases registered against him in the past, including cases involving charges of murder and attempted murder. The High Court observed that this background was not taken into account while granting him bail.
While cancelling the bail, the bench noted that although Mhatre had been acquitted in 17 cases, the fact that 18 criminal cases had been registered against him should have been given serious consideration.
The court further observed that several of these cases were of a serious and heinous nature, which was a significant factor while deciding the bail application.
Amid growing anger among doctors following the alleged assault, the High Court also appealed to medical professionals to reconsider their decision to go on strike on July 20, stating that patients should not suffer due to the protest.
Following the alleged attack on the woman doctor, the Indian Medical Association (IMA), the country’s largest medical body, strongly protested against the incident.
The IMA announced a 24-hour shutdown of medical services across hospitals in Maharashtra, raising concerns over the possible impact on healthcare services in the state.
What Happened?
On July 6, Mhatre entered a hospital in Thane and allegedly assaulted two doctors. The incident reportedly occurred after doctors refused to admit a newborn baby due to a lack of available space in the NICU.
Hospital officials said that doctors Srishti Bawiskar and Vaibhav Salunkhe had advised the newborn’s relatives to shift the child to another hospital, as the baby required urgent care and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the KDMC government hospital was already full.
Instead of following the advice, the relatives contacted Mhatre, who arrived at the hospital with his supporters. Footage from the hospital showed Mhatre approaching the doctor from behind.
The video allegedly showed Mhatre attacking the doctor while she was holding a mobile phone. He and his supporters then allegedly assaulted other hospital staff members. The incident video later went viral on social media.
After the controversy intensified, Mhatre claimed that he did not hit the female doctor. According to a report by NDTV, he said that his actions saved two lives and accused the doctor of mishandling the patient.
Mhatre neither expressed regret nor apologised for the incident. He claimed that he was only trying to help a woman and her child.
The corporator denied assaulting the woman, a doctor, inside the hospital. He said that he had only struck her hand in an attempt to remove her phone because she was not listening to their concerns.
He stated, “I removed her phone because she was not listening to us. I was only trying to move her away from the phone.”