Three people have been arrested in connection with the attack on doctors and medical staff at a civic-run hospital in Maharashtra's Thane district as the medical community in Maharashtra has been horrified and protesters are calling for more protection for healthcare workers.
The arrested accused have been identified as Akshay Karande, Ramesh Pawar and Shailesh Nikam. According to police, they were present along with Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Sukrya Mhatre when doctors and hospital staff were assaulted at Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC)-run Shastri Nagar Hospital.
Investigators also plan to record the statement of another victim who was allegedly assaulted during the incident as part of the investigation.
The controversy took off after the video of the assault emerged online and went viral. Doctors are being physically attacked in the hospital's premises, medical associations say, and citizens say.
The incident took place on Monday evening after doctors Dr. Srishti Bawiskar and Dr. Vaibhav Salunkhe informed the relatives of the newborn that the baby was being taken to another hospital because there were no beds in the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) where it needed to be transferred, police said.
Police said the family members contacted corporator Ramesh Mhatre, who arrived at the hospital later that day and joined them.
The group allegedly confronted the doctors, verbally abused them and physically assaulted them during the argument. Dr. Vaibhav Salunkhe is injured in the attack.
The incident has once again raised serious concerns about the safety of healthcare professionals who have repeatedly demanded stricter security measures in government hospitals.
Protests by Doctors Forced Police Action
The assault also sparked protests because the hospital officials said police did not immediately register an FIR despite being approached late Monday night.
KDMC Medical Health Officer Dr. Deepa Shukla and hospital staff met police officials and asked for immediate legal action. But the delay led doctors and hospital workers to stage a “work-stop” protest.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) units of Kalyan and Dombivli, along with civic employees' unions, also met KDMC Commissioner Abhinav Goyal. If the accused were not booked and arrested, the IMA said all private clinics and hospitals in the region would remain shut on Wednesday.
#Thane
— Goldy Srivastav (@GoldySrivastav) July 8, 2026
Shiv Sena (Shinde) corporator Ramesh Mhatre accused of assaulting a woman doctor and nurses at KDMC Hospital in Dombivli. CCTV visuals of the incident have surfaced.#Maharashtra#Dombivli#KDMC#ShivSena#Hospital#Doctors#ViralVideo#DoctorsProtest… https://t.co/A1vU1SFCV1 pic.twitter.com/jxx6HpyQao
On Tuesday night, after pressure from the medical community, police registered an FIR against Corporator Ramesh Mhatre and four male supporters and one woman.
The accused have been booked under different sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging official duty, voluntarily causing hurt, criminal intimidation, intentional insult to provoke breach of peace, unlawful assembly and rioting.
Corporator Rejects Assault Allegations
In the meantime, corporator Ramesh Mhatre has denied allegations that he assaulted women doctors or nurses.
Mhatre said he regretted the incident but claimed that the CCTV footage may have given viewers a false impression because of the camera angle.
He maintained he did not hit the female doctor and said he merely tapped her hand while trying to draw her attention, claiming she continued speaking on the phone instead of listening to the family’s concerns.
Even though he can’t go on with it, the viral video has led doctors’ associations to call for action against those involved.
The arrests are the first major breakthrough in the case, but the medical fraternity has been adamant that attacks on healthcare workers must be detected and dealt with immediately in order for hospital campuses to remain safe for patients and medical professionals.
