The Supreme Court stated on Monday that individuals who assault doctors and hospital staff should not be allowed to remain on the streets. This declaration came during a hearing concerning a Maharashtra corporator accused of attacking three municipal doctors in Thane. The court’s remarks prompted the corporator to withdraw his plea for bail after the bench suggested it might consider canceling his bail immediately.
A bench of justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta was hearing a plea filed by Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Sukrya Mhatre, when senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for him, sought permission to withdraw the matter. Mhatre was specifically ordered to stay within the jurisdiction of the Anjuna police station in Goa. The high court had also directed the Maharashtra government to provide adequate protection to the three doctors who were allegedly assaulted.
The Bombay High Court had on August 7 granted bail to Mhatre and three others, while directing them to remain outside Maharashtra until the filing of the chargesheet.
Rohatgi clarified that the accused in the Palghar incident were not the same set of people and said he wanted to “put a quietus to this here”. “The writing on the wall is clear and therefore, I would want to withdraw,” the senior lawyer said. But the bench said that the court needed to send out a larger message against attacks on medical professionals. “A message needs to go…not only to these people but to everyone and as a deterrent…These people do not deserve to be out at all…Such people do not deserve to roam freely on the streets even for a minute,” it said.
The court accordingly issued notice on the Maharashtra government’s appeal challenging the bail granted to Mhatre and three other accused. With Rohatgi and other lawyers for Mhatre stating that they wished to withdraw the petitions, the court allowed the withdrawal. It also took note of reports about the fresh assault on doctors and hospital staff in Palghar and directed that the matter be listed on September 16.
