Thane, Maharashtra, October 31, 2025: In a strong message against rising violence toward healthcare workers, a Thane sessions court sentenced Rashid Shakil Khan, aged 56, to seven years of rigorous imprisonment for assaulting and robbing a woman doctor during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. The judgment was delivered by Additional Sessions Judge Vasudha Bhosale, who also fined him ₹20,000, directing that half of the amount be paid to the victim as compensation.
The shocking incident took place on January 3, 2021, at the Bhayander clinic of Dr. Gayatri Nandlal Jaiswal, a general practitioner who was working tirelessly during the pandemic. Khan entered the clinic pretending to inquire about an RT-PCR test. When the doctor asked him to wait, he got angry and left, only to return minutes later carrying an iron hammer.
He attacked Dr. Jaiswal on the head multiple times, causing her to bleed and collapse on the floor. As she lay injured, Khan snatched her gold chain, ring, mobile phone, and ₹5,000 in cash before escaping. The attack left Dr. Jaiswal with severe head injuries, including an acute small hyperdense right frontal subdural haemorrhage, which doctors confirmed could have been life-threatening.
A subdural hematoma happens when bleeding occurs between the outer and inner layers surrounding the brain, usually after a head injury.
It is a serious form of traumatic brain injury that can become life-threatening if not treated quickly.
There are three types:
Acute – develops within hours of a head injury and needs urgent care.
Subacute – symptoms appear days or weeks later.
Chronic – slow bleeding that may show up weeks or months after even a minor fall or bump.
Common symptoms include severe headache, dizziness, vomiting, blurred vision, slurred speech.
Diagnosis is made through neurological exams and brain imaging like CT or MRI scans.
Treatment depends on severity, small bleeds may just need rest and monitoring, while larger ones often require surgical drainage.
Early detection greatly improves recovery chances.
Police arrested Khan soon after the attack, recovering some of the stolen items. During the trial, 14 witnesses, including medical experts, police officers, and the victim herself, testified against him. The court found that Khan had clearly planned the crime and returned to the clinic with the intention to harm and rob the doctor.
Judge Bhosale noted that the injury, though described as small in medical terms, posed a serious threat to life. The court rejected the defense’s argument that the assault was spontaneous, pointing out that Khan’s deliberate re-entry with a weapon showed criminal intent.
Khan was convicted under sections of the Indian Penal Code for house trespass after preparation for hurt and robbery with a deadly weapon. He was also found guilty under the Prevention of Violence Against Doctors, Medical Professionals and Medical Institutions Act, 2019, which was enacted to protect doctors and healthcare staff from violence while on duty.
The court stated that this case represented exactly the kind of assault the law was meant to address. It called for exemplary punishment to ensure that such attacks do not go unpunished.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Bhosale ordered Khan to pay ₹20,000 as a fine, with ₹10,000 to be handed over to Dr. Jaiswal to help cover her medical expenses and the trauma she endured.
(Rh/ARC/MSM)