A doctor who was assaulted by Shiv Sena corporator at a civic hospital in Dombivli in Thane district resigned on Tuesday, saying he does not feel safe returning to work, The Indian Express reported.

The 26-year-old resident medical officer at the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation’s Shastri Nagar Hospital said he had left the city after receiving threats and would “never go back”, NDTV reported.

“I have resigned because there is a lot of fear,” he told the news outlet. “Goons are watching us, and I have already left the city. They are very dangerous people. The other doctors may continue working there, but I cannot.”

The assault took place on Monday after doctors at the state-run hospital asked the family of a pregnant woman to transfer the woman to another hospital because there were no beds available in the neonatal intensive care unit, which the newborn was expected to require.

According to the police, this prompted the family to contact Ramesh Mhatre, a municipal corporator from the Shiv Sena faction led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Mhatre arrived at the hospital with his supporters.

Surveillance camera footage shared on social media showed the corporator and his associates punching and slapping the hospital staff.

Mhatre was arrested on Wednesday evening after he surrendered to the police, The Indian Express reported.

Three of his associates – Ramesh Pawar, Pramod Nikam and Akshay Karande – had been arrested earlier.

Mhatre was later admitted to Thane Civil Hospital after complaining of health problems, NDTV reported.

The police have registered a case against Mhatre and his associates under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita pertaining to assaulting a public servant, voluntarily causing hurt, criminal intimidation, unlawful assembly and rioting.

They were also booked under the Maharashtra Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Property Act.

Mhatre has denied assaulting a woman doctor. He said he had only tried to take her mobile phone while she was speaking on it during a discussion about the patient’s condition.

The male doctor who has resigned told The Indian Express that Mhatre was attempting to shift the focus to the assault of only a woman doctor.

“He has tried to shift the focus by highlighting the assault on a woman, knowing that it is a sensitive issue,” the doctor told the newspaper. “But that does not justify the assault on a male doctor. No camera angle can hide the truth of what actually happened.”

Recalling the incident, the doctor said he was the only male doctor present and was repeatedly punched on his face, head, chest and abdomen. He alleged that the woman doctor, two nurses and a hospital attendant were also assaulted.

Protests by doctors, nurses

The Maharashtra State Association of Resident Doctors welcomed Mhatre’s arrest but said doctors in government medical colleges and hospitals would wear black ribbons on Thursday while continuing medical services, The Indian Express reported.

It said the protest was aimed at seeking long-term measures to address rising incidents of violence against healthcare workers across the state.

The Maharashtra State Nurses Association has announced a three-day black-ribbon protest from Friday and warned that the agitation would be intensified after Monday if “no concrete action” was taken.

Edited by Neerad Pandharipande.