Bombay HC upholds bail of Nashik doc attackers

The Bombay high court on Tuesday rejected Wockhardt Hospital’s plea seeking cancellation of the bail granted to a family that attacked a doctor from the Nashik unit of the hospital after the death of a patient who was their kin.

On August 26 last year, Pushpa Tile died at Wockhardt Hospital in

Nashik after developing hypertension during an angiography. When cardiologist Sunil Sonawane broke the news of Tile’s death to her family members, they accused the doctor of medical negligence and allegedly started assaulting him. Sonawane reportedly injured his back and fractured his nasal bone. An FIR was registered against five members of the family for attempt to murder and they were taken into custody. They were later granted bail by a sessions court.

On Tuesday, justice Bhatia said: “Just because the doctor was from a big hospital like Wockhardt doesn’t mean this court needs to interfere with the bail order and treat the accused persons differently.”

Rejecting the hospital’s appeal, justice Bhatia added, “It is impossible to come to the conclusion that it was an attempt to murder the doctor. The accused persons did not use any weapon. It was a simple assault. A nasal bone fracture cannot be considered life-threatening.”