Thane: The Thane Additional Sessions Court, presided over by Judge V.L. Bhosale, has convicted a 36-year-old Thane-based doctor, Hemantkumar Deshmukh, for assaulting a traffic police officer and obstructing him from discharging his official duties.
The court sentenced Deshmukh to pay a fine of Rs 5,000 for assaulting a public servant, failing which he will have to undergo simple imprisonment for five months. Additionally, the court imposed a fine of Rs 100 for improper parking, with a default penalty of three days’ simple imprisonment.
The case dates back to August 16, 2018, when Dr. Deshmukh was found driving in the wrong direction at Hafija Chowk, Thane. Traffic police officer Chandrakant Hiraman Pawar, who was on duty managing traffic for a candle march organised by Sangharsh Samiti, noticed Deshmukh’s car contributing to the congestion. Pawar stopped the vehicle and asked the doctor to produce his driving license.
However, Deshmukh allegedly refused to comply and began shouting at the officer, handing him the car keys and saying, “Do whatever you want.” When Pawar persisted, Deshmukh allegedly assaulted him, pushed him, and threatened him. The incident, witnessed by local shopkeepers and passersby, was also partially recorded by a woman accompanying Deshmukh.
During the trial, the prosecution produced four witnesses, including Pawar, who testified to the incident. The court observed that the prosecution successfully established that Deshmukh was the aggressor, obstructing the officer from performing his duty.
The court rejected Deshmukh’s claim that he had filed a non-cognizable complaint (NC) against the officer prior to the incident, noting that no evidence of such a complaint was submitted. The court stated:
“The prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt that the accused had beaten the informant or used criminal force against him, obstructing him from performing his official duty.”
While the prosecution sought maximum punishment, Deshmukh’s counsel argued for leniency, citing his reputation as a doctor and his son’s medical issues. Considering this, and that it was Deshmukh’s first offence, the court chose to impose a fine rather than a custodial sentence, with imprisonment only in case of default.
