3 hrs ago
Saifee Hospital Files ₹125 Crore Suit Over Trainee Posts
Saifee Hospital has taken a trainee doctor to court in Mumbai.
The hospital wants ₹125 crore because it says her online posts harmed its reputation.
The posts accused the hospital and some doctors of long hours, ragging and mental harassment.
The hospital says those accusations were false and linked to disagreements about the doctor’s attendance and conduct.
It says the doctor was warned and that some concerns were reported to a medical examinations board.
The doctor’s lawyer says she had the right to speak about possible problems at work.
He says she wanted help from proper authorities rather than to damage the hospital.
The doctor also wants to continue and finish her training.
For now, the court has told her not to post more allegedly defamatory material about the hospital.
The court has not yet made a final decision on either side’s claims.
Saifee Hospital Trust has sued trainee doctor Asiya Khan Luqman for ₹125 crore over two social media posts.
The hospital says the posts falsely alleged illegal working hours, ragging, torture, mental harassment and mistreatment of trainees.
The trust also alleges unauthorized absences, attendance problems and misconduct after Luqman joined its DNB surgery program in February 2026.
Luqman’s lawyer says raising workplace concerns and approaching regulatory authorities are protected efforts to seek redress, not defamation.
The Bombay High Court has directed Luqman not to publish further allegedly defamatory material about the hospital while the case continues.
- Who
- Saifee Hospital Trust and first-year DNB General Surgery trainee Dr Asiya Khan Luqman are the main parties; the hospital’s allegations also concern some senior doctors.
- What
- The hospital is seeking ₹125 crore in alleged defamation damages over Luqman’s social media posts, while Luqman disputes the allegations.
- Where
- The dispute concerns Saifee Hospital in Mumbai and is before the Bombay High Court.
- When
- Luqman joined the hospital in February 2026; the suit was filed on September 3, 2026, and the court direction was issued during the ongoing proceedings.
- Why
- The hospital says the posts damaged its reputation, patient confidence and ability to attract trainees; Luqman’s lawyer says she was raising concerns about workplace conditions and seeking help.
Saifee Hospital Trust’s Case
Dr Luqman’s Response
Social media allegations
Saifee Hospital Trust’s Case
The hospital says Luqman’s posts made false and serious accusations, went beyond workplace grievances and harmed its reputation, patient confidence and ability to attract trainees.
Dr Luqman’s Response
Luqman’s lawyer says a trainee may raise concerns about excessive working hours and other workplace issues, and that seeking intervention from appropriate authorities is not automatically defamation.
Attendance and conduct
Saifee Hospital Trust’s Case
The hospital alleges that Luqman took unauthorized leave, was absent from work, showed insufficient attention to duties and failed to respond to some memos; it says warnings were issued and NBEMS was informed.
Dr Luqman’s Response
Luqman disputes the hospital’s allegations and says she wants to continue and complete her DNB training with dignity and without further conflict.
Working arrangements and suspension
Saifee Hospital Trust’s Case
The hospital says residents must work according to institutional and patient-care requirements because it provides round-the-clock services, and it later suspended Luqman and barred her from the premises.
Dr Luqman’s Response
Luqman later alleged on X that she had been terminated without valid reasons after speaking against what she described as injustice; the report also says her legal team sought permission for her to continue training.
Key facts
- Plaintiff
- Saifee Hospital Trust
- Defendant
- Dr Asiya Khan Luqman, a first-year DNB General Surgery trainee
- Damages sought
- ₹125 crore
- Allegations in posts
- Illegal working hours, ragging, torture, mental harassment and mistreatment of resident doctors
- Training start
- February 2026
- Authorities mentioned
- National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences, National Medical Commission and police authorities
- Interim court direction
- Luqman was directed not to publish further allegedly defamatory material concerning the hospital on social media
- Current status
- The allegations remain subject to the Bombay High Court’s final determination
Quotes
Asiya Khan Luqman's advocate
The lawyer representing trainee doctor Asiya Khan Luqman
“Raising a grievance against alleged workplace excesses, including duty hours contrary to prescribed norms, and approaching the competent academic and regulatory authorities for redressal does not, in law, amount to defamation.”
freepressjournal.in
“The attempt to characterise the consequences of her own conduct as mental torture or harassment is an effort to evade accountability and shift the focus away from the trainee’s own misconduct.”
freepressjournal.in
Sources
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