Dr Payal Tadvi Case: BMC Suspends License Of 4 Doctors At Nair Hospital

The three doctors accused of harassing Dr Payal Tadvi and BYL Nair Hospital’s gynaecology department head have been suspended by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation after Tadvi killed herself, the Mumbai Mirror reported.

According to Hindustan Times , the licenses of all four doctors have been suspended. “We will take a final call once the investigation into their role in the suicide is completed,” said BMC’s deputy municipal commissioner (health) told HT.

Tadvi, who worked at the state-run hospital in Mumbai, was found hanging in her hostel room on 22 May . Her family has blamed the death on casteist slurs and harassment by three seniors — Ankita Khandelwal, Hema Ahuja and Bhakti Mehare.

Amid growing protests by students and tribal organisations over the death, the state women’s commission on Monday asked the dean to submit a report in the case.

In a letter to the dean of the Mumbai civic body-run BYL Nair Hospital Ramesh Bharmal, the Maharashtra State Commission for Women sought to know whether the Anti-ragging Act was effectively implemented in the institution.

The report, which also seeks information on “lack of communication” between the administration and students, is to be submitted within eight days, the Commission said.

Meanwhile, the three doctors sought a “fair probe” in the case.

The three wrote a letter to the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) saying they want the college to conduct a fair investigation in the matter and “give justice” to them.

“This is not the way to do an investigation through police force and media pressure, without hearing our side,” the three doctors said in the letter.

MARD has also suspended the three doctors.

A senior MARD official said, “We have credible inputs that the three doctors made casteist remarks against Dr Payal Tadvi, who allegedly committed suicide. We will cooperate with the police for the further investigations.

To prevent such incidents, MARD has decided to organise sensitisation programmes for second and third year undergraduate medical students,” the official said.

The FIR filed after the second year PG student ended her life, stated that her seniors often threatened her, saying she wouldn’t be allowed into operation theatres or allowed to perform deliveries. She was also mocked for being a tribal on WhatsApp groups.

Tadvi’s family has alleged that the doctors taunted her for belonging to a scheduled tribe.

The hospital’s anti-ragging committee is expected to submit a report on the suicide. The administration has issued notices to the head of the department and the unit head of the obstetrics and gynaecology department.

The three doctors have been booked under the Atrocities Act, the Anti-Ragging Act and the IT Act and Section 306 (abetment to suicide) of the IPC.

Tadvi’s mother Abeda Tadvi said from her hometown in Jalgaon district of north Maharashtra that her daughter had called her up on 22 May about her alleged harassment.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav condemned the incident.

In Mumbai Monday, members of the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, All India Democratic Association, Democratic Youth Federation of India and Students Federation of India staged a protest outside the college and hospital.

A tribal organisation has planned a march from the hospital premises to the Agripada police station on Tuesday, to demand arrest of the three doctors.

Holding the Nair hospital administration responsible for the suicide, the organisation has demanded action against the dean.