The suspensions were recommended by the Shiv Sena’s disciplinary committee, according to party secretary Sanjay More

Published on: Sep 9, 2026, 07:51:10 IST

Prefer HTon Google

Share via
Copy link

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Tuesday announced the suspension of seven party functionaries, including its Palghar district and city chiefs Kundan Sankhe and Rahul Gharat, for assaulting and abusing staff at a private hospital on September 5. The suspensions were recommended by the Shiv Sena’s disciplinary committee, according to party secretary Sanjay More.

Apart from Sankhe and Gharat, the Shiv Sena has taken action against its Palghar youth wing president Sairaj Patil, youth wing coordinator Rishabh Ware, and three other functionaries: Manish Sankhe, Rohit Gavit and Rahul Sankhe. Gavit is the son of Shiv Sena MLA from Palghar, Rajendra Gavit.

The development comes three days after 17 people, mostly Shiv Sena functionaries, were booked for abusing and assaulting staff at Relief Hospital in Palghar following a dispute over the treatment and discharge of injured Govindas during Dahi Handi celebrations. Kundan Sankhe, Rahul Gharat and Rohit Gavit were among those named in the first information report (FIR).

After the incident snowballed into a major controversy, an irked Shiv Sena chief and deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde had condemned the assault and announced Gharat’s suspension on Monday. Shinde had also said that Gharat would be expelled from the party after following due procedure.

“If something wrong was done by the hospital, they should have used the legal remedy. Taking the law into their hands cannot be tolerated, and the party will not shield such people,” Shinde had said. “The Shiv Sena does not and will never condone violence against doctors or any healthcare professional. The incident in Palghar is deeply regrettable and completely unacceptable,” he had added.

The alleged assault followed a dispute over the discharge and hospital bill of five Govindas who were injured during Dahi Handi celebrations organised by Shiv Sena. Hospital staff alleged that the group abused doctors, threatened to vandalise the premises and entered the restricted intensive care unit. Gharat was also reportedly caught on CCTV footage slapping a hospital receptionist.

The incident led to widespread outrage, especially as it occurred just two months after a group led by Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre allegedly assaulted doctors and medical staff at a civic hospital in Dombivli on July 6. Mhatre was arrested following the incident.

Catch every big hit, every wicket with Crickit, a one stop destination for Live Scores, Match Stats, Infographics & much more. Explore now!



Stay updated with all the Breaking News and Latest News from Mumbai. Click here for comprehensive coverage of top Cities including Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, and more across India along with Stay informed on the latest happenings in World News.

See Less