Dombivli hospital assault case: Shiv Sena neta Ramesh Mhatre cites high BP, vomiting to seek virtual court appearance; judge rejects plea

KALYAN: A Kalyan court on Thursday rejected the Vishnu Nagar police's request to produce arrested Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre via video conferencing in the alleged assault case involving a doctor and nursing staff at KDMC's Shastri Nagar Hospital.

The court directed police to produce the 72-year-old corporator in person.Mhatre, arrested following an FIR lodged by doctor Vaibhav Salunkhe, was admitted to Thane Civil Hospital after reportedly complaining of chest pain and a spike in blood pressure soon after his arrest. Police told Judicial Magistrate First Class KS Katkade that Mhatre was suffering from high blood pressure, kidney-related ailments and had vomited twice since morning, making it difficult to bring him to court.

They sought permission to produce him through video conferencing.Opposing the plea, Mhatre's counsel AY Patki said his client's health remained unstable and requested that, if remanded, he be granted only one day's police custody, noting that the three other accused had already been remanded till Friday.After reserving its order, the court rejected the police application and directed that Mhatre be produced physically before it.

Mhatre, a three-time corporator from Dombivli, and four others have been booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Maharashtra Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Property) Act, 2010, for allegedly assaulting a doctor and nursing staff at the civic-run Shastri Nagar Hospital.The incident sparked protests by the Indian Medical Association and doctors across KDMC hospitals, prompting the civic administration to assure enhanced security measures at healthcare facilities.