2nd doctor assaulted by Sena corporator resigns due to 'fear'
What's the story
A woman doctor assaulted by Shiv Sena corporator Rakesh Mhatre has quit due to "fear," NDTV reported. Her resignation comes a day after her colleague, who was also assaulted by the corporator and his associates on Monday, quit his job. The 26-year-old resident medical officer at the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation's Shastri Nagar Hospital said he had left the city after receiving threats and would "never go back."
Doctor
'Goons are watching us'
"I have resigned because there is a lot of fear," he told news channels. "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." According to their colleagues and family members, the doctors were under severe psychological trauma after the attack.
Assault aftermath
Mhatre, his associates booked under various sections
The incident occurred on Monday after doctors advised a pregnant woman's family to shift her to another hospital as there were no beds available in the neonatal intensive care unit, which the newborn was expected to require. Angered by this suggestion, the family then called Mhatre, who came with his supporters and assaulted the hospital staff. CCTV footage showed Mhatre and his associates hitting and slapping and hitting the staff members.
Family response
Mhatre arrested
Mhatre was arrested on Wednesday evening after surrendering to the police. He was later admitted to Thane Civil Hospital due to health issues. He had earlier denied assaulting the female doctor, insisting that he only hit the doctor's hand to get her off the phone. "I addressed her informally—using the casual 'Tu'—because she is like a daughter to me...While we were conversing, she kept talking on the phone and was not listening to our grievance, so I tapped her hand."
Protest response
What male doctor said
The male doctor who resigned told The Indian Express that Mhatre was attempting to shift the focus only on the assault of the woman doctor, "knowing that it is a sensitive issue." "He has tried to shift the focus by highlighting the assault on a woman...But that does not justify the assault on a male doctor. No camera angle can hide the truth." CCTV footage from the hospital had shown Mhatre and his associates repeatedly slapping a male doctor/staff.