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Join UsThe Jaslok Hospital & Research Centre has served a legal notice to Ms. Varsha Deshpande of ‘Lek Wachwa Andolan’ for maligning the image of the hospital and of Dr. Firuza Parikh, Director of the IVF Centre of Jaslok Hospital, by making false statements regarding the issue of surrogacy and sex determination allegedly done by Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan.
The hospital has categorically stated that neither Jaslok Hospital nor Dr. Firuza Parikh are involved in the alleged surrogacy nor the alleged sex determination.
The notice asks Ms. Deshpande to provide the details of the sources of the alleged information and tender an unconditional apology in the media within a period of 24 hours, failing which the hospital will be compelled to prosecute her in the courts of law, civil as well as criminal.
“Dr Firuza Parikh, a pioneer in the field of IVF, is a senior doctor with an impeccable reputation at Jaslok since 1989. She has innovated techniques such as Cumulus Aided Transfer for the first time in the world and has been recognized as among the top 10 doctors of India,” said an official statement.
Here are the excerpts from the Legal notice sent to Varsha Deshpande by Jaslok Hospital:
This notice is being sent to you for maligning, derogating image of my clients in respect of issue of sex determination test allegedly done by Mr. Shahrukh Khan.
My clients state that Dr. Firuza Parikh is a senior and respected doctor who is the Director of the IVF Centre of Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre since 1989. Dr. Parikh has been a pioneer in the field of IVF. She has innovated techniques such as Cumulus Aided Transfer for the first time in the world. Last year she was listed by a national newspaper as among the top 10 doctors of India. She has an impeccable reputation. The Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre is an esteemed Charitable Hospital registered under the Bombay Trust Act, 1950 and has been functioning since July 1973. The Hospital is an institute run by a trust and is engaged in the noble and laudable objectives of inter alia providing specialized in-patient as well as out-patient treatment to the community. It is considered a pioneering hospital and among the most advanced hospitals in the country.
My clients state that you have made derogatory statements about them in a number of newspapers and TV channels to name a few 18th June 2013, Free Press Journal, under title “BMC comes checking on SRK ‘Surrogacy”, 18th June 2013, Maharashtra Times, “Shahrukh Khan now in sex determination issue”, 19th June 2013, Pudhari, “Third child may prove costly for Shahrukh Khan”, 20th June 2013, Pudhari, “ No clean cheat from BMC to Shahrukh”, and in interviews to IBN7 , ABP News – both on 17th June 2013, so also to Live India – on 18th June 2013.
You have also used electronic media to highlight maliciously false information with the intention to harm the reputation of my clients by defaming them. You have done so intentionally to gain publicity although you have been informed that whatever you have alleged is far from the facts and that you have not verified the same by any authentic mode.
In fact, when my client Dr. Firuza Parikh spoke to you on the phone on the 17th of June 2013 to explain to you that neither she nor the hospital are involved in the surrogacy treatment and sex determination that you have alleged against them, you were rude and said that you refused to believe them.
As further instructed by my clients, I call upon you to forthwith give the details of the sources of the alleged information and tender an unconditional apology to my clients in both print and electronic media, within a period of 24 hours from the date of receipt of this notice, failing which you will be held responsible for defamation and also for maligning my clients.
Please note that if you fail and neglect to comply with whatever is stated above in this notice, my clients will be compelled to prosecute you in the courts of law, civil as well as criminal. In the event of which please note that you shall be entirely liable for the costs and consequences resulting therefrom.
