The Bombay High Court on Friday granted bail to Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation member Ramesh Mhatre and four co-accused in connection with an alleged assault on doctors at a hospital in Thane district, while ordering all five defendants to remain outside Maharashtra until formal charges are filed against them.
A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad directed that the case be fast-tracked under a strict timeline. Under the bail conditions, the Shiv Sena politician and his co-defendants must stay out of the state until the police file a chargesheet, returning only for the framing of charges. The court further prohibited the group from attempting to contact witnesses or tamper with evidence.
Addressing Mhatre’s role as an elected representative, the bench noted that a municipal corporator is chosen to serve the public, and violence directed at voters constitutes an attack on democratic values. However, the court determined that release on bail was appropriate because the police investigation is moving rapidly and the accused have spent time in custody.
Fast-Track Timeline and Prosecution Directives
To ensure a prompt trial, the high court ordered the Maharashtra government to appoint a special public prosecutor within 10 days. The bench mandated that law enforcement complete the investigation and obtain reports from the State Forensic Science Laboratory within 12 working days, followed by the filing of a chargesheet within five days.
Once the chargesheet is submitted, the trial court must frame charges against the accused within one week. The high court explicitly instructed both prosecution and defense attorneys to refrain from seeking unreasonable or minor adjournments after proceedings begin.
Incident Background and Previous Legal Actions
The criminal charges arise from a July 6 altercation at Shastri Nagar Hospital in Thane district. Mhatre and his associates allegedly confronted and physically assaulted medical personnel after a pregnant woman’s relatives claimed that her treatment had been delayed. The incident sparked widespread public anger across the region.
A lower court in Kalyan had previously granted bail to Mhatre on July 15. However, the High Court intervened on July 18 by taking self-initiated action to stay the lower court’s decision, describing the order as flawed for failing to consider Mhatre’s criminal antecedents. Judicial records noted 18 previous assault cases registered against Mhatre, though 17 ended in acquittals. Mhatre subsequently surrendered to police custody following the High Court’s directive and remained in judicial custody until Friday’s ruling.
