The Supreme Court on Monday took exception to frequent assault on doctors in Maharashtra and also noted that people from "same ideology" were behind such attacks, a reference to yet another instance of Shiv Sena workers assaulting doctors.
A bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta was hearing a case concerning Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Sukrya Mhatre accused of assaulting doctors at Dombivli in July.
The Court today noted that there was yet another incident of same group of people attacking doctors yesterday.
"Things are going from bad to worse. There is another incident yesterday. Same group of people. Again assaulting doctors," the bench said.
"It is not the same group of people. I have checked," said Senior Counsel Mukul Rohatgi appearing for Mhatre.
The Court then clarified that it was referring to the political ideology of the attackers.
"Same ideology. How can this be justified that you go and assault them inside their chambers, beat them brutally? It’s an issue of law and public order both. So they should be actually detained. These people don’t deserve to roam on streets," Justice Nath said.
The Court was hearing a challenge filed by Mhatre against orders passed by the Bombay High Court in relation to the Dombvli assault.
Mhatre was arrested in July for allegedly assaulting doctors and hospital staff at the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation's (KMDC) Shastri Nagar Hospital in Dombivli on July 6.
Although a sessions court granted him bail on July 14, the Bombay High Court took suo motu cognisance of the same and stayed the bail order after a special sitting held on July 18, Saturday.
On August 7, the High Court lifted the stay and ordered Mhatre’s release subject to stringent conditions. The High Court also transferred the case to a fast-track court and prescribed timelines for completing the investigation, filing the chargesheet and proceeding with the trial.
Mhatre challenged the High Court order before the Supreme Court over the stringent conditions imposed on him.
The State also separately filed appeals challening the bail.
When the matter was taken up today, the Court was informed of another incident involving the assault on doctors in Palghar.
Mhatre's counsel, Mukul Rohatgi, argued that the Bombay High Court's directions, including the filing of a chargesheet within a week, had effectively pre-judged Mhatre's case.
“By the impugned order, he will be convicted,” he submitted.
The Court, however, questioned the objection to an expedited trial.
“Let the trial be expedited, what is wrong?” it asked, adding, “A message needs to go.”
Mhatre eventually proceeded to withdraw his appeal.
The Court then took up the State’s challenge to the Bombay High Court’s order challenging the bail itself. It issued notice to Mhatre and gave him three weeks to reply.
The case will be heard next on September 28.
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My guess is that this must be the Eknath Shinde Shiv Sena which thinks that it cannot be touched because it is in power.
Uddhav Thackeray Shiv Sena should clarify this matter immediately.