Bombay High Court Cancels Bail for Shinde Sena Corporator Mhatre

In a significant legal development, the Bombay High Court has cancelled the bail of Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) corporator Ramesh Mhatre, who faces charges for the violent assault of three doctors at a civic-run hospital. A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad issued the order during a special Saturday sitting, expressing dissatisfaction with the initial Magistrate court ruling in Kalyan. The bench noted that the lower court failed to consider Mhatre's past records and neglected to impose necessary conditions for his cooperation with ongoing police investigations.

The High Court took suo motu cognisance of the matter after learning of the severity of the incident, where Mhatre and four associates allegedly beat the medical professionals. The judiciary stressed that such actions against frontline medical staff in state-run facilities demanded a more stringent legal approach. The court further ordered Mhatre and his co-accused to surrender to the Dombivli police station by July 19. If they fail to comply, authorities have received authorization to initiate procedures for attaching their immovable properties, signaling a firm stance against the violence directed at doctors.

Following the court's intervention, the bench made a direct appeal to medical professionals across Maharashtra to call off their planned strike scheduled for July 22. While acknowledging the doctors' grievances regarding their safety, the judiciary urged them to prioritize service to mankind in the larger public interest. The matter will return for further hearing on July 21. The legal proceedings highlight the ongoing friction between the state's medical community and local political figures, with the court attempting to bridge this divide while upholding law and order.