Palghar, Sep 14 Twenty-two persons arrested in the Palghar hospital violence case were remanded in police custody till September 16 by a local court.
Those remanded in police custody by Magistrate Yogesh H Gajbhiye in an order issued late Sunday night include MLA Rajendra Gavit's son Rohit Gavit and former Shiv Sena district chief Kundan Sankhe.
On the intervening night of September 5 and 6, Sena workers barged into Relief Hospital at Palghar where a few injured 'Govindas' who had participated in the Dahi Handi celebrations had been admitted.
Claiming that the hospital was charging exorbitant fees, they allegedly vandalised the property, threatened the doctors, assaulted staff members and forcibly took away one of the injured persons from the ICU.
A case was registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Maharashtra Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Property) Act for rioting. assault, criminal intimidation, trespass, unlawful assembly and other offences, with police identifying 22 persons through CCTV footage.
Shiv Sena Palghar city chief Rahul Gharat was held in the case on September 7, while Rohit Gavit and 12 'govindas' were held on September 11. Sankhe and the others surrendered on Sunday, as per police.
Appearing for the prosecution, Sub-Divisional Police Officer Nisha Jadhav requested five days of police custody to collect voice samples, seize mobile devices, and secure cloud-stored CCTV footage from a Bengaluru server.
However, the defence argued that the accused were merely visiting an injured friend without unlawful intent and urged the court to remand them in judicial custody.
Magistrate Gajbhiye, after hearing both sides, ruled that the severe nature of the offence and clear prima facie involvement warranted police custody.
