Shiv Sena leader’s son, 5 others denied bail in Palghar case
A court in Palghar district on Tuesday rejected the bail applications of six accused, including Rohit, son of Shiv Sena MLA and former minister Rajendra Gavit, in a case related to alleged vandalism at a private hospital after an argument over medical bills earlier this month.
The ruling was delivered by First Class Judicial Magistrate Sujata Bandal after multi-day legal arguments between defence counsels and public prosecutors.
On the intervening night of September 5 and 6, Shiv Sena workers barged into Relief Hospital at Palghar, where a few injured ‘Govindas’ (youngsters involved in the formation of multi-storeyed human pyramids) who had participated in Dahi Handi celebrations had been admitted.
Claiming that the hospital was charging exorbitant fees, they allegedly vandalised the medical centre, threatened the doctors, assaulted staff members and forcibly took away one of the injured persons from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Acting on a complaint by the hospital, the police registered an FIR and arrested 23 individuals, including 12 members of a ‘Govinda’ troupe and several local political functionaries.
All 23 suspects had previously been remanded to judicial custody.
Among those remanded, 6 key individuals -- Rohit Gavit, Vrishabh Vare, Manish Sankhe, Sairaj Patil, Rahul Sankhe, and Neelam Sankhe - moved the court seeking bail.
During the hearings, defence counsels argued that these applicants were present at the hospital merely as spectators, did not enter the ICU, and engaged in no actual destruction or violence.
Conversely, the prosecution relied on High Court and Supreme Court precedents to uphold the police charges regarding unlawful assembly and the disruption of a healthcare facility.
Having reserved the verdict after concluding arguments, the court formally pronounced its decision on Tuesday evening, denying bail to all the 6 accused, who will remain in judicial custody as investigations proceed.
