HC scraps plea seeking direction to take over Wadia hospitals

The Bombay High Court on Friday dismissed a petition seeking a direction to the Maharashtra government and BMC to take over the two Wadia hospitals in the city during the COVID-19 pandemic, after the petitioner failed to deposit a sum of Rs 1 crore to show his bonafides. Earlier this week, a division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice K K Tated had asked Pankaj Phadnis, who had filed the petition through his unregistered think-tank Abhinav Bharat Congress, to deposit Rs 1 crore to show his bonafides before hearing the petition on merits.

The court on Friday said since Phadnis had failed to deposit the money, the petition stands dismissed. The petitioner had sought a direction to the civic body and state government to take over Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospitalfor Children and Nowrojee Wadia Maternity Hospital in central Mumbai amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Both thehospitalsand the BMC had opposed the plea and said Phadnis was a former employee of theWadiafamily and the petition has been filed for furthering his personal agenda. The court had on May 26 noted that prime facie the petition may have not been filed in public interest, but for ulterior and oblique motives and hence the bonafide of the petitioner was suspect.