THANE: Arrested Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre was discharged from Thane Civil Hospital on Friday morning after doctors declared him medically stable and fit for discharge.He had been admitted to the hospital’s prisoners’ ward after complaining of chest pain and elevated blood pressure shortly after his arrest on Wednesday in connection with the alleged assault on doctors and nursing staff at KDMC’s Shastri Nagar Hospital in Dombivli.Hospital authorities discharged Mhatre following a medical review, paving the way for further legal proceedings in the case.Ramesh Mhatre is scheduled to be produced in court at around 2.30 pm today.A day earlier, a Kalyan court had refused the police’s request to produce Mhatre through video conferencing. Police informed Judicial Magistrate First Class K S Katkade that the corporator was suffering from high blood pressure and kidney-related ailments and had vomited twice, making it difficult to bring him to court.However, the court rejected the plea and directed the police to produce Mhatre in person once doctors certified that he was medically fit. Police then said they would comply with the order after receiving clearance from Thane Civil Hospital.Mhatre was arrested along with three alleged associates for reportedly attacking doctors and hospital staff over an alleged delay in admitting a pregnant patient at the Dombivli civic hospital earlier this week.Before his arrest, Mhatre had denied assaulting a woman doctor during a press conference. He claimed the incident had been misrepresented due to “the camera angle” and said he had only attempted to take away her phone while seeking an update on the patient’s condition. “She is like my daughter. It is not part of Shiv Sena’s values to raise a hand against a woman,” he said.The assault sparked a two-day protest by doctors across the twin cities, with private practitioners joining the strike following a call by the Indian Medical Association (IMA). The protest disrupted routine outpatient services, forcing many patients to return without treatment, while hospitals continued to provide emergency care.The Central Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors also announced a token black-ribbon protest across government medical colleges and hospitals. “The protest isn’t only against this incident but also against the increasing incidence of violence against healthcare workers across the state and to reiterate our demand for a safe working environment,” it said in a release.
