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Court rejects bail plea of COVID-19 patient accused of molesting doctor

by · Mumbai Mirror

A sessions court in Dindoshi recently rejected the bail application of a Santacruz resident accused of molesting a doctor working at a COVID-19 care facility in Andheri.

Sessions judge SS Oza rejected the 33-year-old man's bail plea on Saturday. The court had previously remanded him in judicial custody till Monday, while it heard arguments on his bail application.

The prosecution’s case was that on June 15, the 29-year-old doctor was administering medicine to a patient at a coronavirus facility near Laxmi Business Park in Andheri when the man, who was seated nearby, allegedly assaulted her from behind. She was rescued by her colleagues and taken to Cooper Hospital for treatment.

The 33-year-old patient, who was also undergoing treatment at the facility, was later shifted to Cooper hospital. Senior police inspector Someshwar Kamthe said that the police did not arrest him while he was at Cooper hospital because he was still undergoing treatment. Meanwhile, his lawyer moved the court seeking anticipatory bail, but he was arrested on July 7 after his discharge, before the court could pass an order on his pre-arrest bail plea.

Additional public prosecutor Geeta Malankar stated that the man had sought bail on the grounds that he was not in the correct state of mind during the incident and that he did not recall how it had occurred. The prosecutor submitted that it was a serious offence, that there was strong evidence against him and that the police had recorded statements of eyewitnesses who were present when he allegedly assaulted the doctor.

The Amboli Police have charged the man under various sections of the Indian Penal Code related to assault or criminal force to outrage modesty, deterring a public servant from discharge of duty, voluntary hurt to a deter public servant from duty, and voluntarily causing hurt.