Summary: The Bombay High Court decided in favor of Dr. Dhanashri Ramesh Karkhanis, a doctor working on a contract, granting her maternity benefits even though she was not a permanent employee. The court stressed that the Maternity Benefit Act applies to all eligible women, including those working on contracts.
Dr. Dhanashri Ramesh Karkhanis, an anesthesiologist and Assistant Professor at Seth G.S. Medical College and K.E.M. Hospital in Mumbai, filed a case against the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. She challenged the decision to deny her maternity benefits, which was communicated to her on October 21, 2024.
Dr. Karkhanis was working on a contract and was denied maternity benefits by the hospital, which claimed such benefits were not available for contract workers. This denial was based on the rules of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
Dr. Karkhanis filed the case on February 12, 2026, asking the court to cancel the denial and provide maternity benefits under the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961.
The court, with Judges R. I. Chagla and Advait M. Sethna, pointed out that the Maternity Benefit Act applies to all eligible women, no matter their job status. They stressed that the Act's rules are more important than any job contract or agreement.
On February 27, 2026, the court decided in favor of Dr. Karkhanis, canceling the denial of benefits. They ordered the Municipal Corporation to give her maternity benefits within six weeks.
This judgment not only provides relief to Dr. Karkhanis but also sets an important example for the rights of contract workers across India.
