Maharashtra: HC flays police ‘laxity’ in probing Palghar hospital assault by Shinde Sena members

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday said that the “casual approach” of the police in investigating the case against members of the Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde faction who assaulted medical staff and vandalised a private hospital in Maharashtra’s Palghar was unacceptable, PTI reported.

A bench of Justices AS Gadkari and Kamal Khata said that the Palghar Police had not carried out any investigation in the case.

The matter pertains to the alleged assault and vandalism at Relief Hospital on the intervening night of September 5 and September 6. Several workers of the Shinde Sena allegedly entered the hospital, where some persons who had been injured while participating in Dahi Handi celebrations were undergoing treatment.

During Dahi Handi celebrations, revellers form human pyramids to break an earthen pot filled with curd. Some revellers sustain injuries fr falling from the pyramids.

The workers claimed that the hospital was charging excessive fees. They allegedly threatened doctors, assaulted staff members and forcibly took away the injured persons admitted to the intensive care unit.

Two days after the violence, Shinde suspended the party’s Palghar chief Rahul Gharat and announced that he would be expelled from the outfit, the Hindustan Times reported. The deputy chief minister said his party “does not and will never condone violence against doctors or any healthcare professional”.

On Wednesday,...

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