Dr Payal Tadvi Suicide Case: 3 doctors discharge pleas rejected

Mumbai: A special court on Wednesday rejected the discharge pleas of three senior doctors accused of abetting the suicide of Dr Payal Tadvi, a PG medico in 2019.

It also imposed a cost of Rs 25,000 on each of them, directing that the amount be given to Tadvi's mother, Abeda Tadvi.

The order was passed by a special judge for SC/ST cases S M Tapkire on Wednesday, news agency PTI reported.

Medical Dialogues team had earlier reported that two of the doctors booked under the charges of abetment in the suicide case of Dr Payal Tadvi in 2019 have submitted a discharge plea before a special court on Thursday. In the plea, one of the doctors stated that the medico was facing tremendous work pressure and the accused had no part in her death.

The doctors were booked along with another resident doctor after Dr Tadvi allegedly committed suicide after being harassed by the three. The doctors were pursuing a post-graduate medical course in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and had already completed two years out of three years of course at the time of the case.

A 26-year-old PG medico Dr Payal Tadvi pursuing MD Gynecology from a well-known BYL Nair Hospital in Mumbai allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself in her hostel room in May 2019. The doctor was allegedly depressed as three of her senior colleagues allegedly used to harass her with casteist remarks. A complaint was moved by the medico's family and a case against the trio was registered under section 306 (abetment for suicide) of the Indian penal code (IPC), sections of the SC/ST Atrocities Act, Anti-Ragging Act and Information Technology Act, 2000.

According to a UNI news report, The doctors- Dr Ankita Khandelwal, Dr Bhakti Mehare and Dr Hema Ahuja had filed discharge pleas in April 2022.

Tadvi's family had alleged that the accused ragged on her and also hurled casteist abuse as she belonged to a Scheduled Tribe.