Bombay High Court Cancels Bail of Shiv Sena Corporator Ramesh Mhatre in Dombivli Hospital Assault Case

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Saturday cancelled the bail granted to Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) corporator Ramesh Mhatre and four other accused in the assault case involving doctors and nurses at Dombivli’s Shastri Nagar Hospital. The court directed Mhatre to surrender before the police by 5 pm on July 19, while the next hearing in the matter has been scheduled for July 22.

The High Court had taken suo motu cognisance of the Magistrate Court’s decision to grant bail to Mhatre and the four co-accused earlier in the day. A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad heard the matter at 3 pm before setting aside the bail order.

High Court Flags Criminal Antecedents

While cancelling the bail, the bench observed that the Magistrate Court had failed to adequately consider Ramesh Mhatre’s criminal antecedents before granting him relief.

According to the High Court, Mhatre has been named in 18 criminal cases, including serious offences such as murder and attempt to murder.

Although the court noted that he had been acquitted in 17 of those cases, it observed that the lower court should not have overlooked his involvement in multiple serious criminal cases while deciding his bail application.

Court Takes Note of Doctors’ Protest

The High Court also took note of the decision by doctors across Maharashtra, especially those working in government and civic hospitals, to observe a strike on July 22 in protest against the assault on medical staff at the Dombivli hospital.

After cancelling the bail, the bench appealed to the medical fraternity to reconsider the proposed strike, urging them to keep in mind their humanitarian responsibilities and the inconvenience that a work stoppage could cause to patients.

Warning Over Failure to Surrender

The court directed Ramesh Mhatre to surrender before the police by 5 pm on July 19.

It further warned that if he fails to surrender or cannot be traced, authorities would be free to initiate legal proceedings to attach his immovable properties.

“In the event he does not surrender, or he is not reachable, the authorities will be at liberty to follow the due procedure for initiating steps for attaching his immovable property,” the bench observed.

The case stems from the alleged assault on doctors and nurses at Shastri Nagar Hospital in Dombivli, an incident that sparked widespread outrage among the medical community and prompted calls for stronger protection for healthcare workers. The matter will next be heard by the Bombay High Court on July 22.

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