‘9 out of 10 accused still at large’ HC raps Palghar cops

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Wednesday rapped the Palghar police for their “lax” attitude in handling an assault on doctors and staff at a private hospital in Palghar, calling the probe an “eyewash”

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Wednesday rapped the Palghar police for their “lax” attitude in handling an assault on doctors and staff at a private hospital in Palghar, calling the probe an “eyewash”. The court questioned why nine of the ten accused were yet to be traced.

“Are you waiting for one more such case for a doctor to be beaten? Point blank answers are given that they are absconding, as usual. This speaks about your inefficiency”, a division bench of justice AS Gadkari and justice Kamal Khata said, while directing Yatish Deshmukh, Palghar superintendent of police (SP), to personally explain the steps taken to trace the nine accused.

“It is because of your laxity they are now absconding. How can nine people abscond at once? Whom should we blame for this? If you don’t want to investigate seriously, tell us frankly. We will immediately transfer it to Mumbai Police Crime Branch”, the court remarked.

This came in response to a suo motu plea into a similar assault that occurred at a civic hospital in Dombivli in July, in which Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre is an accused.

During the proceedings on Tuesday, senior counsel Ashok Mundargi, appointed as amicus curiae in the matter, informed the bench about an incident at the Relief Hospital in Palghar on September 5, when a group of Shiv Sena functionaries allegedly assaulted staff following a dispute over the treatment and discharge of injured Govindas during Dahi Handi celebrations.

At least 17 people were booked, including the Shiv Sena’s Palghar district chief Kundan Sankhe, city chief Rahul Gharat, and deputy taluka chief Rohit Gavit, in connection with the incident. The Shiv Sena suspended the trio, along with four other functionaries, on Tuesday.

Questioning how the accused, being locals, are not arrested yet or even been traced, the court further observed that “every laxity of the authorities are written in large” in the matter.

It then directed that the relevant circulars issued by the Director General of Police (DGP) be placed before it, and sought a response from the State authorities on the issue.

The alleged assault followed a dispute over the discharge and hospital bill of five Govindas who were injured during Dahi Handi celebrations organised by Shiv Sena. Hospital staff alleged that the group abused doctors, threatened to vandalise the premises and entered the restricted intensive care unit. Gharat, the Shiv Sena’s Palghar city chief, was also reportedly caught on CCTV footage slapping a hospital receptionist.