Woman doctor quits after Shiv Sena corporator assault; colleague leaves city over safety fears
A woman doctor, who was assaulted by Shiv Sena corporator Rakesh Mhatre at a municipal hospital in Maharashtra, has resigned, a day after her colleague, Dr. Vaibhav Salunkhe, quit his job and left the city, citing concerns over his safety.
"I have resigned because there is a lot of fear. 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. I will not go back there again," NDTV quoted Salunkhe as saying.
KDMC denies receiving resignations
However, Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) Chief Medical Officer Dr. Deepa Shukla said neither Dr. Vaibhav Salunkhe nor Dr. Srushti Baviskar had formally submitted their resignations.
She said both doctors were appointed through a third-party recruitment agency and had not resigned from that agency either.
"They are absent from their duties without notice," Dr. Shukla said.
Attack triggered by NICU dispute
The assault took place at Shastri Nagar Hospital in Dombivli, which is run by the KDMC.
The confrontation began after two doctors advised a newborn's family to shift the infant to another hospital because the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) was full.
The relatives then approached corporator Rakesh Mhatre, who allegedly arrived at the hospital with his associates, leading to a violent altercation.
Video sparked outrage
A video of the incident, widely circulated on social media, showed Mhatre striking a woman doctor from behind before allegedly assaulting another doctor and hospital staff members.
WHEN A RULING PARTY BECOMES DRUNK ON THE INTOXICANT OF POWER AND ENTITLEMENT.
— Rahul Shivshankar (@RShivshankar) July 7, 2026
Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) corporator Ramesh Mhatre allegedly assaulted a female doctor, a gynecologist, and multiple nursing staff members at the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC)-run… pic.twitter.com/LeCX0zETle
The footage triggered widespread outrage and condemnation from the medical fraternity.
Corporator arrested, hospitalised
Following the public backlash, Mhatre was arrested on Wednesday.
Soon after his arrest, however, he was admitted to Thane Civil Hospital on health grounds, prompting allegations that he was receiving preferential treatment.
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