Stand Up Comedy Show Controversy Mbbs Student Sent On Forced Leave

Mumbai’s KEM Hospital on Saturday sent MBBS student Sejal Pawar on a 15-day forced leave over her remarks on male cadavers during stand-up comedian Pranit More’s show. The hospital administration also proposed a five-member committee to conduct a detailed probe into the row and submit its findings within seven working days.

KEM’s decision follows its preliminary inquiry, which found Pawar’s comments to be “objectionable and insensitive” and falling short of the standards of dignity, empathy and professional responsibility expected from a medical student.

KEM authorities had called Pawar’s parents to the institute Saturday to counsel her in their presence. The MBBS student had on Friday submitted a written apology, acknowledging that some of her statements were inappropriate and may have caused distress.

“Today (Saturday) the student has been handed over to the care of her parents and concerns regarding her safety and mental well-being are also being considered. We have sent her on a 15-day forced leave and suggested the parents arrange for her counselling. All action concerning the student would be taken in accordance with applicable rules and guidelines, given that she is still pursuing her medical education,” KEM Hospital dean Harish M Pathak said

In an official statement issued Saturday, KEM said it had taken cognizance of public concern over Pawar’s remarks and initiated a preliminary fact-finding process immediately after receiving complaints. “Respect for patients, deceased persons, body donors and their families is a foundational value of medical education. The matter will be handled with seriousness, sensitivity and procedural fairness. No final conclusion should be inferred at this stage, as the comprehensive inquiry process is presently under way,” it said.

Pathak said while “certain facts” emerged during the preliminary assessment, “a broader and impartial investigation was considered necessary before arriving at any conclusions.”

The proposed committee comprises one retired faculty member, three current senior faculty members and one journalist. The hospital administration said Pawar will be given full opportunity to present her version before the committee, which will examine the statements made in the viral video, complaints received, the student’s conduct, social media activity surrounding the incident and the impact on the institution’s image.

The controversy erupted after video clips of More’s show, where Pawar made the remarks as an audience member, went viral. Maharashtra Cyber Police have since registered an FIR against More, Pawar and another audience member Himanshu Jangra, who made a comment on physical intimacy in exchange for money spent on a date. Jangra has since been fired from his Gurgaon-based company.

“You must have seen the crowd-work video for which I have been receiving a lot of hate. And rightly so. I deserve this criticism because during that crowd interaction, I made multiple derogatory remarks. People laughed, and I got carried away. It was a lapse in judgment,” he said.

More said he should have stopped the interaction rather than giving it a platform. “I will fully cooperate with all legal proceedings. I just want to request that you give me another chance to work on myself and my content,” he said.