A Palghar hospital ruckus over treatment bills for injured Govinda participants has led to a police complaint against 17 Shiv Sena office-bearers and supporters, after hospital staff alleged threats, abusive conduct and an assault on an employee during the early hours of Sunday.
The incident took place at Relief Hospital near the Shiv Sena district office on Palghar’s bypass road, where members of a Govinda team were being treated after sustaining injuries during a Dahi Handi celebration. According to the complaint cited by Loksatta, party workers arrived at the hospital after a dispute over a demand for Rs 19,866 towards examinations and treatment.
The hospital said two patients with chest injuries and five others with head, spinal and shoulder injuries were receiving treatment by midnight. Some patients underwent CT scans or X-rays, while those with head and spinal injuries were admitted for observation for up to 24 hours on medical advice.
The dispute reportedly centred on who would pay the medical bills. Members of the Govinda teams and relatives were told that the Shiv Sena district president would cover the expenses, while organisers had already deposited Rs 10,000, the report said. At about 1.15 am, district president Kundan Sankhe, city chief Rahul Gharat and other party workers allegedly went to the hospital to question doctors about the CT scan conducted on one of the injured patients.
A woman medical officer reportedly explained that the scan was necessary because the patient had suffered a head injury. The hospital’s complaint alleges that the group then threatened to damage the facility and used abusive language towards doctors. It also alleges that a hospital employee was slapped by the local Shiv Sena city chief. The hospital said the incident was recorded on CCTV at the reception area.
The complaint further alleges that party workers entered the intensive care unit and pressured the admitted patients to leave the hospital. The police complaint names 17 Shiv Sena office-bearers and associates, including Kundan Sankhe, Rahul Gharat and Rohit Gavit, the son of MLA Rajendra Gavit.
Police have cited provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to causing hurt, insult and criminal intimidation, criminal trespass, unlawful assembly and participation in such an assembly. The complaint also invokes Sections 3 and 4 of the Maharashtra Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions Act, 2010, which concern attacks on medical personnel, violence and damage to hospital property.
Sankhe told Loksatta that the dispute arose because some mildly injured Govinda participants were not being discharged. He said he had deposited Rs 10,000 at the hospital before midnight to facilitate the discharge of an injured participant from a Virar team. He described the incident as a minor dispute that occurred when he went to the hospital after receiving similar complaints from members of other teams.
The police complaint was submitted at Palghar police station on Sunday morning. The status of any subsequent arrests or further police action was not stated in the report.
