1 day ago
Burqa Entry Dispute at Mumbai Hospital Prompts BMC Action
A woman named Jahanara Shaikh went to a Mumbai hospital to visit a relative.
She said a security guard stopped her near the area for newborn babies.
Shaikh said the guard asked her to remove or move aside her burqa.
She also said the guard mentioned fears that babies could be stolen.
Shaikh believed this was unfair and disrespectful because of her clothing.
A video of the argument spread on social media.
The hospital said the guard should have asked Shaikh to show her face or move the veil aside instead.
The guard later apologised, according to the hospital’s dean.
The hospital also gave the guard a show-cause notice and said it had strengthened security for newborns.
Advocate Jahanara Shaikh alleged she and another woman were stopped at Cooper Hospital’s maternity or neonatal ward.
Shaikh said a female security guard asked her to remove or move aside her burqa before entry.
She alleged security personnel cited concerns that babies could be stolen by women wearing burqas.
A video of the exchange, including an attempt to stop its recording, circulated widely online.
The hospital said the guard later apologised, issued her a show-cause notice and introduced stricter newborn-safety measures.
- Who
- Advocate Jahanara Shaikh, another woman, hospital security personnel and Dr Chhaya Shinde, the hospital dean.
- What
- A dispute arose after Shaikh said she was stopped and asked to remove or move aside her burqa before entering a maternity or neonatal ward.
- Where
- Dr RN Cooper Municipal General Hospital, a BMC-run hospital in Vile Parle, Mumbai.
- When
- The video and controversy were reported after the incident; one report referenced August 31, 2026.
- Why
- Shaikh said security personnel cited concerns about baby theft, while the hospital said identity checks should have been conducted by asking her to show her face or move the veil aside.
Privacy and Equal Treatment
Newborn Security
Burqa and entry checks
Privacy and Equal Treatment
Jahanara Shaikh said stopping her because of her burqa violated her dignity and privacy, and questioned why the clothing was treated as a security risk.
Newborn Security
The hospital said visitors to the neonatal ward require identity checks and that the guard should have asked Shaikh to show her face or move the veil aside rather than bar entry.
Reason given for the restriction
Privacy and Equal Treatment
Shaikh rejected the suggestion that women wearing burqas should be associated with baby theft and questioned whether babies are stolen only by people in burqas.
Newborn Security
Hospital officials said stricter security measures had been introduced because of concerns about the safety of newborn babies.
Accountability
Privacy and Equal Treatment
The viral video and Shaikh’s account prompted public criticism of the alleged treatment of women wearing burqas.
Newborn Security
The hospital said the guard apologised and issued her a show-cause notice over the incident.
Key facts
- Person involved
- Advocate Jahanara Shaikh
- Hospital
- Dr RN Cooper Municipal General Hospital in Mumbai
- Reported location
- Near the maternity or neonatal ward
- Alleged explanation
- Security personnel reportedly cited fears that babies could be stolen by women wearing burqas.
- Hospital response
- Dean Dr Chhaya Shinde said the guard should have asked the woman to show her face or move the veil aside.
- Action against guard
- The hospital administration issued the security guard a show-cause notice.
- Additional measures
- The hospital said stricter security measures were implemented to protect newborn babies.
Quotes
Dr Chhaya Shinde
Dean of Dr RN Cooper Municipal General Hospital
“I went to Cooper Hospital, and I was stopped right outside the maternity ward and told that I could not go inside wearing a burqa. Even after I spoke to them and introduced myself, I was still stopped and told, 'No matter who you are, we will not allow you to enter in a burqa.' I asked them for the reason—why I was not being allowed inside in a burqa. They said that when people go inside wearing burqas, babies get stolen.”
freepressjournal.in
“I would like to ask whoever made these rules—the hospital management or whichever staff member formulated them—are babies stolen only in burqas? In Wadia Hospital, babies were stolen by someone wearing a saree.”
freepressjournal.in
Sources
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