New Delhi, July 8, 2026: A shocking incident of violence against healthcare workers has triggered massive political outrage and medical protests across Maharashtra. Ramesh Sukrya Mhatre, a prominent corporator belonging to the ruling Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), along with his close associates, allegedly barged into a civic-run hospital and brutally assaulted on-duty doctors and nursing staff. The entire altercation, which occurred at the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation’s (KDMC) Shastri Nagar General Hospital in Dombivli, was captured on the facility’s CCTV cameras. The viral footage has sparked nationwide fury, putting the state administration on the defensive.
The altercation erupted on Monday following medical complications during a childbirth procedure. A 33-year-old pregnant woman was rushed to the hospital, where she underwent an emergency caesarean section. Upon evaluation, gynaecologists Dr. Srushti Bawiskar and Dr. Vaibhav Salunkhe discovered that the newborn’s umbilical cord was wrapped twice around its neck. Recognising that the infant required urgent and highly specialised neonatal care, the medical team checked their facility’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). However, all 10 of the hospital’s available NICU beds were completely occupied.
Acting in the best interest of the child’s survival, the doctors advised the family to immediately transfer the patient to Sion Hospital in Mumbai, which possessed the necessary infrastructure. Rather than understanding the critical lack of empty beds, the patient’s relatives grew deeply argumentative. They reportedly contacted their local political representative, Ramesh Mhatre. Because the on-duty doctors were actively treating other emergency patients, they were unable to pick up incoming phone calls from the politician. Incensed by the perceived snub, Mhatre arrived at the hospital shortly after with a crowd of aggressive supporters.
The hospital’s security footage reveals a chilling sequence of lawlessness. Mhatre and five associates—including four men and one woman—stormed into the ward, bypasssing security. The corporator verbally abused the medical team before physically lunging at them. Dr. Vaibhav Salunkhe sustained physical injuries during the assault, while Dr. Srushti Bawiskar was aggressively confronted. When two on-duty nurses, Namita Ubale and Dravya Giri, bravely stepped forward to intervene and shield the cornered doctors, they were violently shoved, cornered, and manhandled by the mob. Before leaving, the corporator allegedly threatened the terrified staff, shouting that he would “finish them” if they stepped outside the hospital gates.
Political Backlash: Opposition Slams ‘Goondagiri’
The incident quickly escalated into a major political firestorm, drawing sharp rebukes from the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition, particularly the Shiv Sena (UBT) faction, who heavily slammed the culture of impunity and “goondagiri” (thuggery) displayed by ruling party leaders.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray launched a scathing attack on X (formerly Twitter), directly challenging the state’s leadership.
Senior UBT Member of Parliament Sanjay Raut similarly directed his fury toward the state home ministry, expressing disbelief over the law-and-order situation. Raut questioned the treatment of healthcare workers, labeling the nurses and doctors “the angels in white dresses who served the people during the COVID-19 pandemic.” He demanded that the authorities arrest all those responsible, handcuff them, and parade them publicly to restore public trust and set a harsh precedent against political entitlement.
Medical Fraternity Outraged: Strikes and Demands for Justice
The local medical community reacted swiftly, initiating an immediate “stop-work” protest at Shastri Nagar Hospital on Tuesday, which brought non-emergency medical services to a standstill and left healthcare staff in tears. The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) and the Indian Medical Association (IMA) threw their full weight behind the local staff, threatening a complete shutdown of all private clinics and hospitals across the entire region if stringent legal action was not taken.
FAIMA Chief Patron Dr. Rohan Krishnan strongly defended the actions of the treating physicians, emphasizing that frontline medical workers cannot be held accountable for the state’s severe infrastructural deficits.
Legal Action, Defenses, and Government Response
Facing massive public backlash and mounting pressure from medical unions, the Maharashtra Police registered an FIR at the Vishnunagar Police Station against Ramesh Mhatre, four male supporters, and one female associate. They are booked under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 132 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging duty), Section 121(1) (voluntarily causing hurt), Section 351(1) (criminal intimidation), and Section 352 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace). Following intense scrutiny, the police successfully arrested three individuals involved in the mob action, with senior police officials confirming that the arrest of the corporator himself is imminent.
In his defense, Ramesh Mhatre issued a formal statement attempting to downplay the severity of the viral CCTV footage, claiming the visuals were misleading. Mhatre expressed regret over the physical altercation but strongly denied hitting the female doctor. He claimed that he considered the doctor “like a daughter” and that he merely “tapped her hand” because she ignored their grievances while staying on her mobile phone. He invoked the legacy of Balasaheb Thackeray, stating his faction has been taught never to raise hands against women, while redirecting blame onto the “systemic shortcomings” and administrative limitations of the civic hospital.
Meanwhile, the ruling party moved quickly into damage control. Lok Sabha MP Dr. Shrikant Shinde, a medical doctor himself, publicly condemned the attack, stating that healthcare is a service to humanity and that violence in high-stress situations is completely unacceptable. Shinde confirmed that the law will take its course, declaring that the party will not shield anyone who takes the law into their own hands and will initiate strict internal disciplinary action against the corporator to show zero tolerance for political lawlessness.
For an archival look at how infrastructure challenges and high-stress environments frequently boil over into violence against frontline healthcare workers across Maharashtra, you can watch this News report on Dombivli hospital assault which breaks down how systemic issues like unavailable NICU beds fuel public friction with local medical staff.