The Supreme Court has declined to interfere with an order of the Allahabad High Court directing a high-level inquiry into allegations that government doctors attached to Moti Lal Nehru Medical College, Prayagraj, were engaging in private medical practice despite a statutory prohibition and operating a parallel healthcare system outside the government hospital framework.
The Bench of Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice Joymalya Bagchi on Monday permitted the withdrawal of a Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by Dr Santosh Kumar Singh, an Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery at the medical college, after indicating that it was not inclined to grant any relief against the High Court’s directions.
Appearing for the petitioner, Senior Advocate Harshvir Pratap Sharma submitted that Dr Singh was not a party to the proceedings before the High Court and argued that the single-judge Bench had relied upon an FIR arising out of a personal dispute involving him. It was contended that the findings recorded by the High Court adversely affected the petitioner despite his absence from the proceedings.
The Supreme Court, however, observed that the matter before the High Court involved a larger issue of public importance concerning allegations of government doctors undertaking private practice in violation of service conditions. The Bench noted that the inquiry was not directed against any individual doctor alone but concerned the broader allegation that medical professionals employed in government institutions were simultaneously practising in private establishments.
During the hearing, the Court remarked that the issue raised before the High Court was serious and related to the functioning of public healthcare institutions. It repeatedly indicated its unwillingness to interfere with the inquiry ordered by the High Court.
Faced with the Court’s observations, the petitioner sought permission to withdraw the SLP with liberty to pursue remedies before the High Court. The Bench declined to grant any specific liberty, observing that the petitioner could either withdraw the petition or face dismissal. The matter was ultimately withdrawn.
The controversy originates from proceedings pending before the Allahabad High Court concerning the functioning of Moti Lal Nehru Medical College and the attached Swaroop Rani Nehru Hospital in Prayagraj. The public interest litigation was initially filed over allegations that a doctor attached to the institution had been treating patients at a private hospital despite restrictions on private practice by government doctors.
While monitoring the matter, the High Court also examined several issues relating to infrastructure and administration at the medical college, including delays in construction projects and the deteriorating condition of student hostels. The Court noted that construction work relating to two floors of the Cardiology Department had remained incomplete despite having commenced in 2006 and despite the release of funds by the state government.
In May 2026, the High Court took note of an FIR registered against Dr Singh and his wife. It was informed that Dr Singh’s wife was the Director of Acura Hospital, a private nursing home where he was allegedly performing surgeries. Treating the allegations as a matter of serious concern, the High Court observed that professors, associate professors and lecturers attached to the medical college appeared to be practising in private nursing homes and running a parallel medical system in Prayagraj.
The High Court further recorded allegations that patients were being shifted from Swaroop Rani Nehru Hospital to private healthcare facilities, where surgeries and treatment were allegedly being carried out by government doctors. It observed that the declining condition of the medical college and the attached hospital could not be attributed to a lack of funds or governmental support alone, and raised concerns regarding the conduct of members of the medical fraternity.
Noting that similar allegations had surfaced earlier and that a report sought from the District Magistrate had not been submitted, the High Court directed the Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh to initiate appropriate action and constitute a high-level inquiry into allegations of private practice by doctors attached to the institution. The Chief Secretary was also directed to oversee and monitor pending infrastructure and construction projects at the hospital.
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