Suspended Surat HOD Accused Of Harassment, Religious Pressure And Misusing Government Resources

Fresh allegations have emerged against Dr Sumaiya Mulla, the suspended Head of the Microbiology Department at Surat Civil Hospital, with former students and staff accusing her of misusing government resources, exploiting students for personal work and creating a hostile academic environment.

The allegations come days after the Gujarat Health and Family Welfare Department suspended Mulla for 90 days following the death of resident doctor Dr Harsh Pandya, who was allegedly subjected to ragging and mental harassment. The claims made by former students have not been independently verified.

Allegations Of Misusing Government Equipment

A former student alleged that Mulla treated the department's equipment and staff as her personal resources and used government facilities for a private laboratory.

According to the allegation, when testing kits at the private laboratory ran out, students or staff were allegedly asked to collect kits from the Civil Hospital. The former student claimed that on one occasion, a college room was opened at around 9 pm with security assistance to obtain the required material.

The former student also alleged that expensive machines and computers brought to the hospital for seasonal leptospirosis testing were subsequently moved to the private laboratory, where they were allegedly used by Mulla's husband.

There were also allegations of irregularities in the procurement of laboratory kits, with claims that inferior-quality products were purchased using government funds. These allegations would require verification through procurement records and an official inquiry.

Students Allegedly Used For Personal Work

Former students have also accused Mulla of making postgraduate students undertake work unrelated to their academic responsibilities.

One former student alleged that students were sent across South Gujarat to collect leptospirosis samples for Mulla's PhD research.

Other allegations include students being asked to spend hours handling personal banking work and obtaining railway tickets.

A former student also alleged that money received from outside India or elsewhere was sometimes routed through staff or students' bank accounts before being withdrawn in cash. The allegation would need to be examined through financial records.

Former Student Alleges Mental And Physical Harassment

A former resident student alleged that the environment in the department was so stressful that she experienced severe mental distress.

She claimed that she was once taken into a room and pressured to participate in prayers and perform ablution. The former student alleged that the experience caused such severe mental distress that she had thoughts of suicide, but said support from her parents, friends and staff helped her through the period.

Another former student alleged that students were regularly threatened with consequences relating to their examinations and careers and were publicly humiliated.

Claims have also been made that students were allegedly recorded during examinations and that some were subjected to disciplinary action after raising objections.

Allegations Of Religious Pressure

Some former students have also levelled allegations of religious pressure against Mulla, including claims that students were asked to recite the Kalma or participate in Islamic prayers.

One former student alleged that she was subjected to such pressure during her residency.

Another student claimed that Mulla made derogatory remarks about Hinduism and allegedly encouraged another woman to convert to Islam.

These are allegations made by former students and have not been independently established. There is also no independent confirmation of claims regarding Mulla's personal religious background or alleged conversion, and such claims should not be treated as established facts without documentary or official verification.

Complaints Allegedly Made Over Several Years

Former students have questioned why stronger action was not taken despite complaints allegedly being submitted to authorities over several years.

According to them, written complaints were made between 2008 and 2016 and were also brought to the attention of officials in Gandhinagar. A committee was reportedly constituted in 2016, following which Mulla was transferred to Jamnagar for a brief period.

The former students allege that she returned after a short period and that those who had complained subsequently faced pressure.

They have now called for an independent inquiry into the earlier complaints, alleged misuse of government resources and the treatment of students.

90-Day Suspension Draws Criticism

The Gujarat government has suspended Mulla for 90 days in the wake of the controversy surrounding the death of resident doctor Dr Harsh Pandya and allegations of ragging and mental harassment.

Former students have described the suspension as inadequate and demanded a detailed investigation into all previous complaints against her.

The latest allegations, including claims concerning government equipment, procurement, student exploitation and religious pressure, would require examination by the relevant authorities before any wrongdoing can be conclusively established.