“The life of a human being is most precious, and for someone to take a decision to end their lives would mean that the accused had tortured her to such a level where she thought that ending it was the only option she had,” Special Public Prosecutor Pradeep Gharat stated.
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Mumbai: Five years after Dr. Payal Tadvi allegedly committed suicide in the BYL Nair Hospital hostel in South Mumbai, the Mumbai court has decided to frame charges against three accused doctors on June 20.
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The three seniors Bhakti Mehare, Hema Ahuja, and Ankita Khandelwal were arrested for publicly humiliating Tadvi and using caste-based slurs against her.
Tadvi committed suicide, May 22, 2019, Khandelwal and Ahuja allegedly entered her room and destroyed a suicide note she had left behind.
The three accused doctors were senior to Payal Tadvi at the same college. On May 22, 2019, 26-year-old Payal hanged herself in her hostel room. The doctors have been accused of ragging, torturing, and harassing her due to her caste; she belonged to the Scheduled Tribe Tadvi Bhil.
They were arrested a few days after the suicide and were granted bail by the Bombay High Court on August 9, 2019.
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The three accused had filed discharge applications, which Judge SM Tapkire rejected, imposing a cost of Rs 25,000 on each accused. This amount will be deposited with the court and eventually transferred to Tadvi’s family. The detailed order explaining the imposition of the cost has not yet been made available.
Special Public Prosecutor Pradeep Gharat opposed the discharge applications, arguing that there is ample evidence to prove the guilt of the accused and the extent of humiliation and mental and physical torture inflicted on Tadvi. Gharat emphasized that the severe torture led Tadvi to believe that suicide was her only option.
“The accused are directed to deposit the aforementioned cost amount in court within one month from the date of this order,” stated the judge. Special Public Prosecutor Pradip Gharat opposed the accused’s pleas.
Tadvi, who belonged to the Scheduled Tadvi Bhil community, was allegedly humiliated before patients, fellow doctors, and other staff members by the accused, who even withheld work from her.
Gharat referenced statements from Tadvi’s roommate and other staff members recorded by the Mumbai Crime Branch during the investigation, which supported these allegations. He also cited a report from an inquiry conducted by a hospital committee to substantiate the case against the accused.
“Life of a human being is most precious, and for someone to take a decision to end their lives would mean that the accused had tortured her to such a level where she thought that ending it was the only option she had,” Gharat stated.
