Mumbai: Bombay high court on Tuesday summoned Palghar superintendent of police (SP) in connection with the Sept 5 incident at a private hospital where Shiv Sainiks allegedly allegedly created a ruckus and assaulted a staffer over treatment to govindas who were injured during a dahi handi event.Justices Ajey Gadkari and Kamal Khata directed the SP to remain present on Wednesday after taking note that despite the State being served papers regarding the matter, the prosecutor had no instructions from the police.On Monday, the Palghar matter was mentioned before the regular bench that had taken suo motu cognisance on July 18 of the July 6 incident in a Dombivli municipal hospital where Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre and four others had allegedly assaulted three doctors. The matter was placed before the coordinate bench on Tuesday.Amicus curiae, senior advocate Ashok Mundargi, informed that the State has challenged HC’s Aug 7 order granting bail to Mhatre in Supreme Court “which is seized of the matter”.Mundargi then referred to the Palghar case. He said “what is more disturbing is that we learnt from the newspaper” that there is a threat of filing cases against the doctors under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. “There was an assault and over and above, there is insistence that doctors should be prosecuted under the Atrocities Act,” he added.Senior advocate S U Kamdar, for Indian Medical Association, said that on Saturday, injured govindas were admitted in the ICU of the Palghar private hospital, a CT scan was advised and the total bill was Rs 19,000 till then. He said “Shiv Sena persons”, led by the shakha pramukh, vandalised the hospital, removed their patients from the ICU, threatened the doctor and alleged the bill was excessive and also assaulted a staffer. “FIR is filed the same day. No serious action is taken,” said Kamdar.The judges asked prosecutor Shreekant Gavand, who replied that no instructions were received from the police. “Why have you not received instructions?’’ asked Justice Gadkari. The judges then directed the SP to remain present on Wednesday after reading the file.
