Saifee Hospital Seeks Rs 125 Crore From Trainee Doctor Over Social Media Posts
Saifee Hospital Trust has moved the Bombay High Court seeking Rs 125 crore from a first-year DNB trainee over posts alleging ragging and harassment.
A dispute between a Mumbai hospital and one of its resident doctors has reached the Bombay High Court, with the Saifee Hospital Trust seeking Rs 125 crore in damages over social media posts it says damaged its reputation.
The case has been filed against Dr Asiya Khan Luqman, a first-year DNB General Surgery trainee. The hospital alleges that she made serious accusations against the institution and some of its senior doctors online.
According to the hospital, the posts contained allegations of long working hours, ragging, mental harassment and the alleged mistreatment of resident doctors. The posts were also directed at or tagged police authorities, including the Mumbai Police.
Origin of the dispute
Dr Luqman joined Saifee Hospital as a DNB General Surgery trainee in February 2026. The hospital claims that disagreements later arose over her attendance, leave and conduct during training.
It has alleged that she remained absent without authorisation on several occasions, affecting departmental work and patient-related responsibilities, and that warnings and communications were issued to her over these concerns. The hospital also informed the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) about the issues.
As the dispute continued, the hospital's grievance redressal mechanism was involved. The hospital claims the trainee was given an opportunity to present her side before the committee, where certain shortcomings were discussed.
The disagreement later intensified over working arrangements, including a request concerning weekly leave. The hospital has maintained that medical residents must work according to hospital requirements because healthcare services operate round-the-clock.
Hospital's position in court
The trust alleges that the social media posts went beyond raising workplace grievances and harmed the hospital's reputation. It claims the allegations could negatively affect public perception, patient confidence and the hospital's ability to attract medical trainees, and 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, and that approaching regulatory bodies or speaking about alleged workplace issues should not automatically be treated as an attempt to defame the hospital.
Her stated position is that she wants to continue her DNB training and complete the course without further conflict.
High Court 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 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.