Palghar assault on doctors: Eight absconding accused surrender before police

Late at night on Sunday, the accused were produced before the court of the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) and remanded in police custody till September 16

Palghar: Eight Shiv Sena functionaries accused of assaulting doctors and medical staff at a private hospital in Palghar on September 5 surrendered before the Palghar police on Sunday. The driver of Sairaj Patil, one of the eight accused, was also arrested during the day.

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Late at night on Sunday, all nine accused were produced before the court of the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) and remanded in police custody till September 16. The court also extended till September 16 the police remand of Shiv Sena city chief Rahul Gharat and 12 govinda troupe members arrested earlier.

On Friday, the Bombay High Court had rapped the Palghar police over its “most lackadaisical” probe into the assault on doctors and medical staff and directed the Special Inspector General, Konkan division, to review the investigation and submit a report by September 17. The same day, the investigating officer (IO) in the case was changed for the third time.

While police sub-inspector Vinayak Kesarkar was named IO in the FIR, on September 8, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), Palghar Umesh Gawali was made the IO. Subsequently, on September 11, Dahanu SDPO Nisha Jadhav was named IO in the case.

The case stems from a September 5 incident at Relief Hospital in Palghar, when a group of Shiv Sena functionaries allegedly assaulted doctors and staff following a dispute over treatment and discharge of Govindas injured during Dahi Handi celebrations. The Palghar police subsequently booked 17 people, including the Shiv Sena Palghar district chief Kundan Sankhe, city chief Rahul Gharat, and deputy taluka chief Rohit Gavit. While the Sena suspended the trio and four other accused functionaries, Gharat surrendered before the police on September 7.

Rohit Gavit, son of MLA Rajendra Gavit, was arrested on September 11 and remanded in police custody till September 16.

Among the eight Sena functionaries who surrendered on Sunday, Manish Sankhe, Rahul Sankhe, Sairaj Patil, Kundan Sankhe, Nilam Sankhe and Shubham Bandiwadekar had applied for anticipatory bail and their hearing was scheduled on September 15. Two other Sena functionaries who surrendered on Sunday were Manoj Gharat and Vrushab Vare. Apart from them, the police also arrested Sahil Raut, driver of accused Sairaj Patil. The total arrests in the case have now reached 23.