PALGHAR: A dispute over the discharge of injured Govindas and payment of their hospital bill turned violent early Saturday when Shiv Sena functionaries, including the party’s Palghar district chief and city chief, verbally abused and threatened hospital staff, slapped a receptionist and entered the restricted ICU of a private hospital.
The group, along with members of the Govinda troupe, then allegedly entered the ICU, a restricted area where three other patients were admitted. Staff nurse Manisha Shengar alleged in the police complaint that she was threatened with the removal of patients’ IV lines. Four patients were subsequently taken out of the hospital. The Palghar police have booked Sankhe, Gharat, Gavit, Manish Sankhe, Sairaj Patil, Rahul Sankhe, Manoj Gharat, Nilam Sankhe, Shubham Bandhiwadekar, Vrushab Vare and seven unidentified persons. The Indian Medical Association’s Boisar branch, represented by president Dr Milan Kamat and secretary Dr Prakash Babu, expressed concern over the incident and urged the administration to take preventive measures to ensure the safety of hospital staff and prevent such incidents from recurring.
The incident comes nearly two months after a doctor was allegedly assaulted by Dombivli corporator Ramesh Mhatre on July 6. The incident took place at around 1.15 am at Relieef Hospital in Palghar, where five Govindas injured while attempting to break a Dahi Handi organised by Shiv Sena were undergoing treatment. The police have registered a complaint against 17 people, including district chief Kundan Sankhe, city chief Rahul Gharat and Rohit Gavit, son of local MLA Rajendra Gavit.
