Mumbai, Sep 8 The Bombay High Court on Tuesday ordered the Palghar Superintendent of Police to remain present before it over allegations of inaction in a case against Shiv Sena workers who assaulted medical staff and vandalised a private hospital in the district.
A division bench of Justices A S Gadkari and Kamal Khata issued the summons after being informed that local police had taken "no serious steps" in probing the vandalism and assault at Relief Hospital, where Sena workers allegedly barged in and forcibly took away injured 'Govindas' who had participated in the Dahi Handi celebration on September 5.
The bench was hearing a plea taken up suo motu (on its own) into the assault that occurred at a civic hospital in Thane in July, in which Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre is an accused, when senior counsel Ashok Mundargi informed it about a similar incident at the hospital in Palghar.
The police have registered a first information report against 17 people, including Shiv Sena district chief Kundan Sankhe, city chief Rahul Gharat, the son of MLA Rajendra Gavit and deputy taluka chief Rohit Gavit, in connection with the Palghar incident.
In Palghar, five injured 'Govindas' were admitted for treatment at Relief Hospital and three of them were kept in the intensive care unit (ICU).
The doctors there advised a CT scan for the ICU patients, but several Shiv Sena activists barged into the hospital, vandalised the premises, threatened the doctors, assaulted some staff members and forcibly took the patients away, Mundargi told the court.
He claimed there was pressure on the police to register an FIR against the doctors under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Senior counsel S U Kamdar, appearing for the Indian Medical Association (IMA), said that although a case was registered, the police had taken "no serious steps" in the probe.
The court then questioned the prosecution about the steps taken by the police in the case.
Additional public prosecutor Shreekant Gavand said he did not have instructions from the police on the case and sought time.
The bench then posted the matter for further hearing on Wednesday and directed the Palghar district Superintendent of Police to remain present before it along with the case papers.
The police on Monday arrested Gharat in the case. He was produced before a local court, which remanded him to one day's police custody.
Gharat, who was part of the group, allegedly slapped a staff member while Sankhe and others intimidated the doctors.
