Palghar, Sep 18 Twenty-two persons arrested in the Palghar hospital violence case were on Friday remanded in judicial custody till October 1 by a court here.
First Class Judicial Magistrate Sujata R Bandal remanded them after they were produced in court following completion of their police custody.
The prosecution sought two-day extension of police custody citing the need for further investigation and seizure of vehicles allegedly connected with the incident.
The defence, however, opposed the police remand plea, arguing that custodial interrogation was not required for examining CCTV footage or conducting an identification parade. It also told court that police had already been given sufficient opportunity to investigate the case.
After hearing both sides, the court rejected the police request and remanded the accused in judicial custody till October 1.
The court also permitted the police to conduct an identification parade as part of the investigation. The parade has been ordered to be conducted through the Palghar tehsildar in accordance with the prescribed procedure.
Police had told the court that an identification parade was required before key witnesses, including Dr Lizimol Kopanal Raju (37), Yash Kailas Ghude (21), Reena Chetan Jadhav (45) and Vijaya Vikas Chapke.
On the intervening night of September 5 and 6, Shiv 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.
Among those arrested are Kundan Balkrishna Sankhe, Manish alias Vicky Madhukar Sankhe, Sairaj Kalpak Patil, Rahul Vijay Sankhe, Manoj Chintaman Gharat, Neelamkumar Manohar Sankhe, Shubham Rajendra Badiwadekar, Vrushabh Mangesh Ware, Sahil Virendra Raut, Mayur Sandesh Jadhav and Rohit Rajendra Gavit.
Former Shiv Sena Palghar city chief Rahul Gharat, who was arrested on September 7, has been dealt with separately in the proceedings and was earlier remanded to judicial custody.
The Bombay High Court had recently criticised the police investigation and directed the Special Inspector General of Police, Konkan Division, to personally supervise the probe.
The High Court expressed concern over the failure to collect important evidence from the scene and sought a further investigation report.
The 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.
