"People Vote You To Serve Them, Not Break Their Heads": Bombay High Court Refuses Interim Relief To Shiv Sena Corporator In Doctors Assault Case

The Bombay High Court on Monday (July 27) refused to grant any interim relief to Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) corporator Ramesh Mhatre, who is accused of assaulting three doctors at a civic-run hospital in Dombivli, while strongly condemning the conduct of elected representatives who resort to violence against the very people they are elected to serve.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad made the remarks while hearing suo motu proceedings initiated after Mhatre was granted bail following his arrest in the case. The High Court had cancelled the bail on July 18.

Questioning Mhatre's conduct as a public representative, Acting Chief Justice Ghuge orally remarked,

"You are in public life, for the public and to serve the public, why do you behave like this? Why to beat the public .. we are surprised that a person who goes to voters and says I want to serve you, please vote for me and then after getting elected he starts beating people... Someone pointed out that he (Mhatre) walked easily out of the hospital after getting bail and so many supporters had crowded the hospital gate to welcome him... There was a grand reception, we are told...this is because you become people's representatives... People vote you for becoming their representatives but after getting elected you break their heads with files and chairs? It's quite surprising... Is this how you behave?"

Mhatre has been booked for assaulting three doctors, including a woman doctor, at a municipal hospital in Dombivli.

Appearing for Mhatre, Senior Advocate Abad Ponda urged the Court to release his client, submitting that the 73-year-old corporator has only one kidney and was lawfully granted bail before surrendering pursuant to the High Court's directions.

Ponda argued that the High Court's July 18 order had already sent a strong message against violence on doctors.

"These kinds of incidents on doctors needs to be stopped... Your lordships July 18 order obviously had a huge impact nationwide and has given out a strong message...Very hard lesson has been sent to all concerned...Enough message has been sent... Lesson is learnt that too very hard...," Ponda submitted.

Counsel appearing for the Indian Medical Association (IMA) however informed the Court that incidents of violence against doctors continue despite legislative measures and judicial interventions. It was further submitted that the woman doctor allegedly assaulted by Mhatre continues to receive threatening calls and messages.

Counsel appearing for the complainant-doctor, Dr Vaibhav Salunkhe, echoed these concerns, submitting that doctors continue to work under fear of assault.

Senior Advocate Ashok Mundargi, appearing as amicus curiae, submitted that although "bail is the rule and jail is the exception", the facts of the present case justified Mhatre's continued custody until the investigation was completed and statements of the victims and witnesses were recorded. He also pointed out that Mhatre, being a sitting corporator, could potentially influence witnesses.

The Court also expressed dissatisfaction over the manner in which the police handled Mhatre after his arrest, questioning why he was produced before the Magistrate through video conference and whether he had received preferential treatment.

When Advocate General Dr Milind Sathe submitted that Mhatre had been admitted to hospital after his blood pressure shot up, the Bench remarked,

"When the incident occured the BP didn't raise? With so much of excitement he jumped off a table and slapped a female doctor before snatching her phone... He was so quick that wasn't even wasting half a second... Time was so precious to him that he kept beating properly without wasting time."

"We really hope and pray this infection doesn't reach the door step of lawyers... If some famous lawyer like you Mr Ponda, refuses to take up a case, then should it be that the person should beat him?" ACJ Ghuge added.

The Chief Public Prosecutor Shishir Hiray informed the Court that statements of two senior medical officers and three nurses had already been recorded, while around ten more witnesses were yet to be examined.

Finding no ground to grant relief to Mhatre at this stage, the High Court directed the State to replace the existing Investigating Officer with an officer of the rank of Deputy Commissioner of Police and posted the matter for further hearing on July 31.

Case Title: Court on its own motion vs Ramesh Sukrya Mhatre (SMWP 1 of 2026)