Mumbai Hospital Sues Trainee Doctor For Rs 125 Crore Over 'Harassment' Posts

The case has been filed by the Saifee Hospital Trust against Dr Asiya Khan Luqman, a first-year DNB General Surgery trainee.

10 Sep 2026, 07:29 · NDTV

Show
Quick Read
Summary is AI-generated, newsroom-reviewed

Saifee Hospital sued Dr Asiya Khan Luqman for Rs 125 crore over social media posts damaging its reputation
The posts alleged long hours, ragging, mental harassment, and mistreatment of resident doctors
Dispute began over trainee’s attendance, leave, and conduct during her DNB General Surgery training

Will the resident doctor be allowed to complete her training?
Mumbai:

A dispute between Saifee Hospital in Mumbai and one of its resident doctors has reached the Bombay High Court, with the hospital seeking Rs 125 crore in damages over social media posts that it claims harmed its reputation.

The case has been filed by the Saifee Hospital Trust against Dr Asiya Khan Luqman, a first-year DNB General Surgery trainee. The hospital has alleged that the doctor made serious accusations against the institution and some of its senior doctors through social media.

According to the hospital's case, the posts contained allegations relating to long working hours, ragging, mental harassment and alleged mistreatment of resident doctors. The posts were also directed at or tagged relevant police authorities, including the Mumbai Police.

How did the dispute begin?

Dr Luqman joined Saifee Hospital as a DNB General Surgery trainee in February 2026. The hospital has claimed that disagreements subsequently arose over her attendance, leave and conduct during her training.

The hospital has alleged that she remained absent without authorisation on several occasions and that her absence affected departmental work and patient-related responsibilities. It also claimed that warnings and communications were issued to her regarding these concerns.

The hospital further informed the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) about the issues involving the trainee.

As the dispute continued, the hospital's grievance redressal mechanism was also involved. The hospital has claimed that the trainee was given an opportunity to present her side before the committee and that certain shortcomings were discussed during the proceedings.

The disagreement later intensified over working arrangements, including a request concerning weekly leave. The hospital has maintained that medical residents are required to work according to hospital requirements because healthcare services operate round-the-clock.

Why has the hospital approached the High Court?

The Saifee Hospital Trust has alleged that the social media posts went beyond raising workplace grievances and caused damage to the hospital's reputation.

The trust has claimed that the allegations could negatively affect public perception of the hospital, patient confidence and its ability to attract medical trainees. It has therefore sought Rs 125 crore as compensation for alleged defamation.

Trainee's response

The trainee has disputed the hospital's allegations through her lawyer, Advocate Satyam Singh.

Her legal team has argued that a resident doctor has the right to raise concerns about working conditions and seek intervention from appropriate authorities. They have maintained that approaching regulatory bodies or speaking about alleged workplace issues should not automatically be treated as an attempt to defame the hospital.

The trainee's stated position is that she wants to continue her DNB training and complete the course without further conflict.

Bombay High Court's direction

The matter came before Justice Arif Doctor of the Bombay High Court. During the proceedings, the court directed the trainee not to publish further allegedly defamatory material concerning the hospital on social media while the case is pending.

The hospital's Rs 125 crore claim will now be considered through the ongoing legal proceedings. The allegations made by both sides remain subject to the court's final determination.

Got a follow‑up question on this article? Go on

How may i help you today

Show full article

Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world