MUMBAI: Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre on Wednesday expressed regret over the altercation at a civic-run hospital in Dombivli, while denying allegations that he assaulted a female doctor during the incident.Responding to the controversy, Mhatre said he had not raised his hand against the doctor and attributed the impression created by the CCTV footage to the camera angle.“I regret the physical altercation that took place. I state with full confidence that I did not raise my hand against the female doctor. What appears in the CCTV footage might look that way due to the camera angle,” he said.Mhatre said he addressed the doctor informally because he considered her “like a daughter” and claimed that while they were speaking, she continued talking on the phone and was not listening to their grievance.“I tapped her hand. We have been guided by Balasaheb’s teachings; we have never raised a hand against women, nor will we ever do so in the future,” he said.He further said the incident occurred due to “systemic shortcomings” in the hospital and added that efforts would be made to address them.Mhatre also said the people who had taken him to the hospital could provide more details about the incident. He claimed the person who had called him to the spot did not answer his subsequent calls and that he reached the hospital after realising the seriousness of the situation.A case has been registered against Mhatre and five others in connection with the alleged assault on two doctors at the KDMC-run Shastri Nagar Hospital in Kalyan.The incident sparked protests by doctors and medical staff, who demanded immediate action against the accused.(With inputs from ANI)
