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🇮🇳 India /Crime & Justice

Those who assault doctors do not deserve to roam free, Supreme Court says

From Hindustan Times · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • The Supreme Court said people who assault doctors and hospital staff should not remain free, as it considered Maharashtra’s challenge to bail granted to a corporator and three others.
  • The case concerns an alleged July 6 assault on three municipal doctors at Shastri Nagar General Hospital in Dombivli.
  • The court also took note of a reported assault on medical workers in Palghar and scheduled that matter for September 16.

The Supreme Court delivered a stark message on Monday to people accused of attacking medical professionals: they should not be allowed to roam the streets, “even for a minute.”

The remarks came as a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta heard a plea by Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Sukrya Mhatre. Mhatre faces allegations that he assaulted three municipal doctors at Shastri Nagar General Hospital in Dombivli on July 6. His senior counsel, Mukul Rohatgi, then asked to withdraw the petition after the bench indicated it could immediately examine whether his bail should be cancelled.

We are going to issue notice on the State’s appeal.

· Supreme Court benchThe bench indicated it would consider Maharashtra’s challenge to bail granted to Mhatre and three other accused.

The court said it would issue notice on the Maharashtra government’s appeal challenging bail granted to Mhatre and three other accused. “We are going to issue notice on the State’s appeal,” the bench said, adding that there appeared to be a “propensity to do these things”. The judges also referred to reports that doctors and hospital staff had again been assaulted in Palghar, although Rohatgi clarified that those accused were not the same people.

These people do not deserve to roam on the streets.

· Supreme Court benchThe judges discussed the alleged attacks on doctors and hospital staff.

The bench said the court needed to send a broader deterrent message. It said the warning should reach not only the accused in the case, but everyone who might attack medical workers. The Palghar matter was directed to be listed on September 16, while the court allowed Mhatre’s lawyers to withdraw their petitions.

The exchange followed earlier comments on September 1, when the Supreme Court said people with “no respect for the medical fraternity” should not be out on bail and that those who attack doctors do not deserve bail. The Bombay High Court had granted bail to Mhatre and three others on August 7, ordering them to remain outside Maharashtra until the chargesheet was filed. Mhatre was directed to stay within the jurisdiction of Anjuna police station in Goa, while the state was told to protect the three doctors.

A message needs to go, not only to these people but to everyone and as a deterrent.

· Supreme Court benchThe court explained why it wanted to send a broader warning against attacks on medical professionals.
About this summary

Originally published by Hindustan Times in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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