Bombay HC fast-tracks trial, grants bail to Shiv Sena corporator in doctor assault case

The Story in Brief

The Bombay high court on Friday granted bail to Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre and three others accused of assaulting doctors at Dombivli's Shastri Nagar Municipal Hospital on July 6. The court ordered all four to stay outside Maharashtra until the trial begins, with Mhatre to reside at a four-star resort in Goa. Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad imposed the condition after Mhatre's lawyer said the 73-year-old offered to live in another state, having 'learnt a lesson'.

The HC set a timeline for the trial, directing voice and video samples to be sent to the state forensic lab within three days, a report within 15 days, chargesheet within 10 days thereafter, and charges to be framed within five more days. The HC said the trial should be completed within three months once charges are framed. A judge from Kalyan courts will preside over a fast-track court. The accused cannot tamper with witnesses or delay proceedings. The court noted that the crime was 'more grave because a lady doctor was also assaulted' and that she had resigned. The HC directed the municipal corporation to ensure police protection for the victims.