Six Sena workers denied bail over Palghar hospital assault

PALGHAR: Nearly 25 days after Shiv Sena workers and functionaries allegedly barged into the ICU of Relieef Hospital in Palghar and assaulted doctors and staff over a ₹19,866 medical bill for injured Govinda participants, a court on Tuesday rejected the bail applications of six accused arrested in the case

PALGHAR: Nearly 25 days after Shiv Sena workers and functionaries allegedly barged into the ICU of Relieef Hospital in Palghar and assaulted doctors and staff over a ₹19,866 medical bill for injured Govinda participants, a court on Tuesday rejected the bail applications of six accused arrested in the case.

The bail pleas were heard by Civil Judge Junior Division and Judicial Magistrate First Class Sujata R Bandal. Rohit Gavit and Vrishabh Vare had sought bail on September 18, while Manish Sankhe, Sairaj Patil and Rahul Sankhe filed their applications on September 19. Neelam Sankhe subsequently applied for bail on September 21.

On the intervening night of September 5-6, a group of Sena functionaries allegedly assaulted doctors and hospital staff following a dispute over the treatment and discharge of Govindas injured during Dahi Handi celebrations.

Palghar police subsequently registered a case against 17 people, including Shiv Sena Palghar district chief Kundan Sankhe, Palghar city chief Rahul Gharat and deputy taluka chief Rohit Gavit. Following the incident, deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, the Sena chief, suspended local party functionaries, including Gharat, who surrendered before the police on September 7.

The accused were initially booked under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 115(2) for voluntarily causing hurt, Section 351(2) for criminal intimidation and Section 352 for intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of peace. Additional sections were subsequently invoked, including Section 49, relating to abetment where the abetted act is committed; Section 125, concerning rash or negligent acts endangering human life or personal safety; Section 191(2), pertaining to rioting without deadly weapons; and Section 333, which deals with house-trespass after preparation for causing hurt, assault or wrongful restraint and carries imprisonment of up to seven years.

Sections 3 and 4 of the Maharashtra Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Property) Act, 2010, were also invoked against the accused. The provisions, which protect medical service persons and institutions from violence, were a key consideration in the court’s rejection of the bail applications.

The court therefore rejected the bail pleas of all six accused.