Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde on Monday suspended Shiv Sena's Palghar unit chief Rahul Gharat, a day after some party workers were accused of assaulting the staff of a private hospital in the town.
Shiv Sena's Palghar district and city unit chiefs, and an MLA's son were booked on Sunday after a dispute with the hospital staff over medical bills of injured 'Govindas' amid Dahi Handi celebrations.
The party functionaries were accused of assaulting, abusing and threatening hospital staff. The police registered a complaint against 17 people, including district chief Kundan Sankhe, city chief Rahul Gharat and Rohit Gavit, and son of local MLA Rajendra Gavit.
Row over discharge of injured ‘Govindas’
The incident took place at 1.15 am at Relieef Hospital in Palghar, where five Govindas injured while attempting to break a Dahi Handi organised by Shiv Sena were undergoing treatment.
According to the complaint of the hospital staff, the trouble began after the troupe head of injured Govinda Keshav Thakur sought his discharge around midnight, according to an earlier HT report. The attending medical officer said Thakur was still under treatment and could be discharged only after the consultant’s consent.
Following this, Sankhe, Gharat and other party workers reached the hospital and sought an explanation from the doctors about the scans conducted on the injured. The doctor explained to them that these were necessary for those with head injuries, and a heated argument followed. A bill of ₹19,866 had been raised for the treatment of five injured Govindas, of which ₹10,000 had been paid by a representative of the Dahi Handi organisers.
The dispute turned violent after party functionaries verbally abused and threatened hospital staff, slapped a receptionist and entered the restricted ICU of a private hospital.
'Enter, don't spare doctors': CCTV footage captures altercation
The altercation was captured on the CCTV footage from the hospital, which reportedly shows Gharat slapping receptionist Vivek Jhinga on the left side of his face.
The group, along with members of the Govinda troupe, then allegedly entered the ICU, a restricted area where three other patients were admitted. Elaborating on the incident, the receptionist said Sena Palghar district chief Kundan Balkrishna Sankhe arrived with a group and started speaking loudly and abusing a doctor in the emergency department. Jhinga said Sankhe told his group “enter the hospital, do not spare these doctors”.
Sankhe has defended his and his supporters’ actions and dismissed the “small incident”. “The boys were from Virar and they wanted to be discharged. The hospital insisted on a 24-hour observation. We wanted to make a payment and paid ₹10,000,” Sankhe said.