Jhansi Medical College Fire | Enquiry Pending For Over 1 Year: High Court Stays Suspension Of Ex-Chief Medical Superintendent

The Allahabad High Court (Lucknow Bench) recently stayed the operation of the suspension order passed against Dr Sunita Rathaur, the former Chief Medical Superintendent (CMS) of Maharani Laxmibai Medical College, Jhansi.

The interim relief comes more than a year after her suspension order was issued following the unfortunate fire at the college's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) that claimed the lives of 10 children. Of the 39 rescued, 8 others had died later due to illness.

A bench of Justice Shree Prakash Singh passed the order, noting that despite more than one year having passed since the enquiry was contemplated, the proceedings had not been concluded.

The Court also issued notice to the opposite party no. 6 and sought affidavits from the other opposite parties and posted the matter for a hearing in the week commencing February 22.

The HC also clarified that the respondent authorities would be at liberty to conclude the enquiry proceedings within the shortest period of time.

Case in brief 

Petitioner (Dr Rathaur) was working as the Chief Medical Superintendent at the Medical College, Jhansi, and after the first incident of November 15, 2024, a preliminary enquiry was held, pursuant to which, she was suspended. 

Ultimately, a full-fledged enquiry was set up on December 13, 2024, and the chargesheet was served upon the petitioner in July 2025. The petitioner replied on July 17, 2025, and subsequently, on October 6, 2025, a supplementary reply to the chargesheet was also submitted.

Therefore, she moved the HC, wherein her counsel argued that she had no role to play in the unfortunate incident and, despite this, she is being harassed, as neither the enquiry proceeding is being concluded nor the suspension order is being revoked.

It was contended that suspending an employee for a long period is impermissible. The bench was apprised that there is no lapse or any kind of deviation or non-cooperation of the petitioner in the enquiry proceeding.

Lastly, it was argued that, as a Doctor, the petitioner's services are unnecessarily being debarred, due to which, the public at large is suffering. Thus, it was prayed that the suspension order be quashed and that the petitioner be allowed to work.

Against this backdrop, considering that more than one year has passed from the date of contemplating the enquiry against the petitioner and the enquiry proceeding has not been concluded as yet, the bench stayed her suspension.