In a significant ruling, the Bombay High Court has provided crucial relief to two young resident doctors who resigned from the state-run Sir JJ Hospital in Mumbai. The court's vacation bench directed the hospital authorities to return the doctors' original academic documents without insisting on the hefty Rs 20 lakh bond amount typically levied for leaving the course prematurely.
Court Intervenes in Document Dispute
The bench, presided over by Justice Ashwin Bhobhe, issued the order on Tuesday after hearing arguments from both sides. The two doctors, Swapnil Kolape (31) from Navi Mumbai and Dr. Pooja Modanwal (31) from Lucknow, had approached the court in distress. They argued that the hospital was wrongfully withholding their original certificates and coercing them to pay a Rs 20 lakh penalty as per a bond clause for not completing their junior residency tenure.
Senior counsel Aditya Sanghi, representing the doctors, informed the court that his clients had joined the MCH Neurosurgery course at Grant Medical College (under Sir JJ Hospital) between June and August 2025. However, they submitted their resignations on November 17, 2025, citing intolerable living conditions in the hospital hostel.
Deplorable Hostel Conditions Cited for Resignation
The core of the doctors' grievance lay in the alleged "unsanitary" and "pathetic" state of the hostels. Sanghi argued that the accommodation provided was grossly inadequate, leading to severe sleep deprivation. He described a scenario where five students were forced to share a single room, with female residents having absolutely no privacy.
Faced with these circumstances, the duo felt compelled to resign to protect their well-being and academic future. Their immediate need for the original documents was critical. Dr. Modanwal, who had secured All India Rank 20 in the general category for a seat at AIIMS New Delhi, had to submit her certificates by December 31, 2025, to confirm her admission. Furthermore, both doctors needed the documents to appear for other NEET-based admissions.
State's Stance and the Court's Relief
Additional Government Pleader Jaymala Ostwal, representing the State and the hospital, stated that the institution was merely following the rules. The bond clause, which included the financial penalty for leaving the course, was a standard procedure to prevent seat wastage after the admission cutoff date. The hospital's position was that the documents would be released only upon payment of the penalty, and any deposited fees would be non-refundable.
However, the court considered the urgency and the specific undertakings offered by the doctors' counsel. Sanghi assured the court that his clients would provide an undertaking in the format suggested by the state lawyer and would not claim any special equities or advantages from this interim order. Following this, Justice Bhobhe's bench ordered the immediate release of the original documents, subject to the final outcome of the petition.
This interim order provides a major reprieve for the two doctors, especially Dr. Pooja Modanwal, who can now proceed to secure her prestigious seat at AIIMS New Delhi. The case highlights the ongoing tensions between institutional rules and the welfare of medical residents, bringing to light the often-overlooked issue of living conditions for junior doctors in government hospitals.
