Court reserves order on hospital dean's anticipatory bail plea

The sessions court today reserved its order till Thursday on the anticipatory bail application moved by the Dean of government-run JJ Hospital, accused of making casteist remarks against a sweeper.
"The court has reserved its order on the anticipatory bail application moved by Tatya Lahane and also extended the interim protection from arrest until the next hearing date," Lahane's lawyer Swapna Kode said.
Lahane, a Padma Shri awardee and a noted ophthalmologist, was booked under the SC/ST Atrocities (Prevention) Act after a sweeper of JJ Hospital, Narayan Waghela, lodged a complaint on February 14 accusing him of making derogatory remarks related to his caste, as well as verbally abusing him.

According to his complaint, Lahane got into an argument with Waghela when he asked another sweeper to stop working, since all temporary Class IV employees were on strike.
An FIR was lodged against Lahane under the Atrocities Act and the Indian Penal Code. Lahane, who faces arrest, denied these charges and approached the Bombay High Court on Tuesday, seeking anticipatory bail as well as quashing of the case.
However, the court directed him to approach the sessions court.