HC orders probe into Govandi hospital’s registration; raps BMC for misleading court

During the hearing on December 2, the order of which was made public on Monday, the court noted that neither the hospital nor the civic body had placed complete facts before it during hearings on a 2015 petition filed by Nasim Babar Shah

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court recently directed the municipal commissioner to conduct an inquiry into how a private hospital in Govandi secured its registration certificate, after observing that both the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the hospital had attempted to mislead the bench.

HC orders probe into Govandi hospital’s registration; raps BMC for misleading court

During the hearing on December 2, the order of which was made public on Monday, the court noted that neither the hospital nor the civic body had placed complete facts before it during hearings on a 2015 petition filed by Nasim Babar Shah. This followed a hearing on February 17 this year, when the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC’s) counsel Vrushali Raje informed the bench that the hospital in Govandi, Millennium Hospital, had been penalised three times for operating without registration but had continued to function after paying fines. The counsel also submitted that the BMC had been unable to seal the premises due to the absence of statutory powers to do so.

On the same day, the hospital’s counsel, Arun Mishra, produced a registration certificate, claiming the hospital was duly registered. However, Raje said neither she nor civic officials were informed that any such certificate existed. The court also questioned how a document marked “renewed” could be issued when no prior certificate had ever been disclosed.

The bench later granted the BMC time to explain the discrepancies. In response, an affidavit filed on June 17 by the Executive Health Officer claimed the certificate was genuine and that its non-production earlier stemmed from “miscommunication” and poor departmental coordination. It stated that the hospital was registered on April 13, 2022, and was issued a certificate on September 20, 2024, valid until March 31, 2027.

The court rejected the explanation, noting that the certificate was absent from previous affidavits, including one filed by the hospital itself in December 2024. It further held that the stated validity conflicted with Section 5(2) of the Maharashtra Nursing Homes Registration Act, under which certificates cannot extend beyond the end of the third year from issuance.

The court also remarked that despite repeated violations, Millennium Hospital faced only fines of ₹7,000 to ₹10,000 due to weak punitive provisions.

Directing the municipal commissioner to inquire into the genuineness of the certificate, the conflicting dates, and the suppression of facts, the court ordered that the proposed action against responsible officers be submitted in a sealed cover within six weeks.

The state government has additionally been asked to file an affidavit within two weeks, along with the report of its Committee of Doctors, outlining measures to strengthen enforcement powers against unregistered hospitals. The petition will be heard next on January 20, 2026.