New Delhi [India] September 7 : The Supreme Court on Monday expressed strong concern over repeated incidents of alleged assaults on doctors and hospital staff in Maharashtra, observing that such attacks were becoming a serious issue of law and public order.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta made the remarks while hearing a plea filed by Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Sukrya Mhatre, who is accused of assaulting doctors and hospital staff at a civic hospital in Dombivli in July.
The court also took note of a fresh incident of alleged assault on doctors and hospital staff in Palghar.
“There is another incident yesterday. Same group of people. Again assaulting doctors,” the bench observed.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Mhatre, said he had checked the matter and that the people involved in the Palghar incident were not the same. The bench, however, clarified that it was referring to the “same ideology”.
Questioning how such incidents could be justified, the bench said, “How can this be justified that you go and assault them inside, just beat them brutally?”
“Things are going from bad to worse... It’s an issue of law and public order both. So they should actually be detained. These people don’t deserve to roam on streets,” Justice Nath said.
The court was hearing Mhatre’s challenge to stringent conditions imposed by the Bombay High Court while granting him relief in the Dombivli assault case.
Rohatgi argued that the High Court’s directions for expediting the investigation and trial amounted to prejudging the case.
The Supreme Court, however, questioned the objection to an expedited trial and said, “A message needs to go.”
The bench had earlier indicated that it was inclined to cancel Mhatre’s bail in connection with the alleged July 6 assault at Shastri Nagar Hospital in Dombivli. Mhatre subsequently withdrew his appeal challenging the stringent bail conditions.
The Supreme Court then took up the Maharashtra government’s plea challenging the High Court order granting bail to Mhatre and other accused.
The bench issued notice to Mhatre and the other accused and granted them three weeks to respond. The matter has been listed for further hearing.
The case stems from an alleged assault on doctors and hospital staff at the civic-run Shastri Nagar Hospital following a dispute over the treatment of a pregnant woman. The Bombay High Court had earlier taken suo motu cognisance of the incident and imposed stringent conditions while granting bail.