Shiv Sena Workers Allegedly Assault Hospital Staff In Palghar Over ₹19,866 Bill; 17 Named In FIR
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Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Doctors and hospital staff were allegedly assaulted and threatened at a hospital in Palghar after a dispute over a ₹19,866 treatment bill for an injured ‘Govinda’ escalated late Sunday night. CCTV footage from Relief Hospital reportedly captured a Shiv Sena office-bearer slapping a receptionist, while hospital staff alleged that some members of the group also entered the ICU.
Dispute Erupts Over Govinda’s Hospital Bill
The incident took place after midnight at Relief Hospital following the discharge of a member of a ‘Govinda’ troupe who had been injured during a Dahi Handi event.
Trouble reportedly began when the group was presented with a bill of ₹19,866 for the treatment. What started as an argument over the medical expenses allegedly turned into verbal abuse, threats and physical assault against hospital employees.
According to the complaint filed by a hospital employee, Shiv Sena district chief Kundan Sankhe, city chief Rahul Gharat and others entered the emergency department and confronted the doctors.
Receptionist Slapped On CCTV
CCTV footage from the hospital allegedly shows a receptionist being slapped after attempting to intervene in the argument.
Hospital staff have also alleged that a woman employee was threatened when she tried to step in as the situation escalated.
The group allegedly moved beyond the emergency area and entered the intensive care unit (ICU), a restricted section of the hospital.
Nurse Allegedly Threatened, Injured Govinda Taken Away
According to the hospital staff’s complaint, members of the group allegedly threatened a nurse inside the ICU and removed the IV drip of an injured Govinda.
The injured man was then allegedly taken out of the hospital by the group.
The allegations are now part of the police investigation, with CCTV recordings and other available evidence being examined.
17 People Named In Police Case
Palghar Police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Medical Services Protection Act.
At least 17 people have been named in the case. The accused include Kundan Sankhe, Rahul Gharat and Rohit Gavit, the son of local MLA Rajendra Gavit.
Police are examining the CCTV footage and other evidence as part of the ongoing investigation.
Congress Calls Incident ‘Shameful’
Congress leader Atul Londhe Patil criticised the alleged assault, calling it “shameful”.
He accused politicians from the Mahayuti alliance of resorting to hooliganism and questioned when accountability would be fixed for attacks on medical staff.
The incident has also caused concern within Palghar’s medical community, where doctors and healthcare workers have repeatedly raised concerns over their safety following incidents of assault.
Supreme Court Had Recently Denied Bail To Sena Corporator
The Palghar incident comes against the backdrop of another case involving an alleged attack on a doctor in Maharashtra.
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court refused bail to a Shiv Sena corporator arrested in July for allegedly assaulting a woman doctor at a civic hospital in Thane. The court observed that attacks by mobs on doctors can cause serious mental trauma and stressed the seriousness of such incidents.
The Palghar case is now under police investigation, with authorities looking into the allegations and the role of each person named in the FIR.
