Thane Doctor Quits After Sena Corporator Assault, Leaves City

The city of Thane, Maharashtra, has been rocked by an incident of egregious violence against healthcare professionals, leading to the resignation and departure of at least one doctor. On Monday evening, July 6, 2026, Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre, along with his supporters, allegedly assaulted doctors and medical staff at the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC)-run Shastri Nagar Hospital in Dombivli. The altercation stemmed from a medical advisory given by the doctors to a patient's family. Doctors, identified as Dr. Vaibhav Salunkhe and Dr. Srishti Baviskar, advised the relatives of a newborn to transfer the infant to another medical facility because there were no available beds in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Shastri Nagar Hospital. This recommendation, made due to the need for specialized care and full capacity, angered the family, who then reportedly contacted Corporator Ramesh Mhatre. Upon arriving at the hospital with his associates, Mhatre allegedly initiated a physical confrontation with the medical staff. Surveillance camera footage of the incident, which quickly went viral across social media platforms, purportedly showed Mhatre slapping and punching Dr. Salunkhe and striking Dr. Baviskar on her hand. Dr. Salunkhe reportedly sustained injuries in the assault. While Mhatre later denied assaulting the woman doctor, claiming he only tapped her hand to get her off the phone as she 'was not listening' to their concerns, this assertion was largely contradicted by the widely circulated video evidence and other eyewitness accounts. The fallout from the assault was immediate and severe. Dr. Vaibhav Salunkhe, the resident medical officer, resigned from his position, stating unequivocally that he fears for his personal safety and has left Thane. He told media outlets, 'I have resigned because there is a lot of fear. Goons are watching us, and I have already left the city. They are very dangerous people. The other doctors may continue working there, but I cannot. I will never go back.' Reports from various credible sources also indicate that Dr. Srishti Baviskar, the female doctor also allegedly assaulted, resigned, with colleagues and family members confirming both doctors were under immense psychological trauma. While the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) initially disputed whether formal resignations had been submitted, clarifying that the doctors were outsourced and their official paperwork hadn't reached the municipal department, the doctors' intent to quit due to fear was clear. Under immense public pressure and widespread condemnation, Ramesh Mhatre surrendered to the Thane police on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, and was subsequently arrested. Three of his associates, Ramesh Pawar, Pramod Nikam, and Akshay Karande, had been arrested earlier. However, a controversial twist followed Mhatre's arrest: he was admitted to Thane Civil Hospital shortly thereafter, citing health issues, which ignited a debate about whether he was receiving preferential treatment due to his political status. He was discharged from the hospital on Friday morning, July 10, 2026, and remanded to police custody until Monday. The incident provoked strong reactions across the political spectrum and the medical community. The ruling Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), to which Mhatre belongs, publicly distanced itself from his actions, with Thane Lok Sabha MP Naresh Mhaske stating that the party would not condone such behavior and had served Mhatre a show-cause notice. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde also reprimanded Mhatre. Opposition leaders, including Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, demanded Mhatre's removal from all party and public posts and questioned his immediate hospitalization after arrest. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) and various medical organizations condemned the assault, threatening to shut down hospitals and clinics across the state if strict action wasn't taken. Resident doctors and nurses announced statewide protests, wearing black ribbons and demanding enhanced security measures for healthcare professionals, highlighting a broader issue of violence against doctors in India. This incident has intensified demands for a safer working environment for those in the medical field. This event is not an isolated one, as previous incidents of violence against doctors in Maharashtra have been reported, such as the brutal assault on Dr. Rohan Mhamunkar in Dhule in March 2017, which also led to widespread protests and demands for better security. The latest assault in Thane once again brings to the forefront the critical issue of doctor safety and the need for robust legal and security frameworks to protect healthcare workers.

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