In a detailed order, a special court in Mumbai has rejected the discharge pleas of three doctors accused of abetting the 2019 suicide of their junior colleague, Dr. Payal Tadvi, by harassing her over her caste. The court observed that the pleas appeared to be filed solely to prolong the trial. The court stated that there is prima-facie sufficient material on the accused’s participation and specific roles regarding the accusations against them, and thus they do not deserve to be discharged from the charges leveled against them.
The judge emphasized that Tadvi’s probable defense, which contended that she was mentally stressed and unable to handle her responsibilities and work as an educator, could not be taken into consideration at this time. The judge stated that a substantial quantity of tangible and electronic evidence had been confiscated, and that testimonies from over 274 material witnesses had been recorded by the investigation. Considering the seriousness of the case—that is, the accused’s junior medical student had committed suicide—the judge underlined the necessity of giving both the prosecution and the complainant a chance to present their case.
The accused physicians, Ankita Khandelwal, Hema Ahuja, and Bhakti Mehare, were ordered by the court to pay a total of Rs 75,000 in costs, which were to be given to Tadvi’s mother, Abeda Tadvi. Although the defendants had filed their discharge applications in 2022, the judge pointed out that they had repeatedly requested adjournments, which had extended the case. The defendants are probably well-off financially, the court further noted, since they are medical officers or practitioners. Consequently, the court levied the fee in an effort to deter people from filing discharge petitions even when they are aware that there is a wealth of evidence against them.
The doctors Ankita Khandelwal, Hema Ahuja, and Bhakti Mehare were ordered by the court to pay costs of Rs 25,000 apiece, for a total of Rs 75,000, which was to be given to Tadvi’s mother, Abeda Tadvi. The judge observed that even though the accused had submitted their discharge pleas in 2022, they had repeatedly requested postponements, which had extended the case. The accused are probably in high financial status because they are medical officers or practitioners, the court further said. Since the court knew that there was a lot of evidence against them, it decided to charge a fee to deter the practice of filing discharge applications.
Pradip Gharat, the Special Public Prosecutor, objected to the discharge pleas, claiming that the accused had repeatedly and persistently intimidated, harassed, and mistreated Payal Tadvi while she was a medical student. Gharat added that Tadvi was purposefully insulted, degraded, and threatened by the accused in front of patients, hospital employees, and associates. He added that Tadvi had complained to the college authorities about the accused before she committed suicide, and that many eyewitness accounts had been documented about the harassment. In addition, Gharat charged that the three had destroyed the suicide note.
On May 22, 2019, Dr. Payal Tadvi, 26, hanged herself in her dorm room. She attended the same college as the three accused doctors. They are accused of harassing, abusing, and ragging Tadvi due to her caste. A few days after the suicide, the accused were taken into custody, and on August 9, 2019, the Bombay High Court granted them bail. Mother of Payal, Abeda Tadvi, requested that the discharge pleas be dismissed, claiming that the accused was attempting to postpone the start of the trial with the pleas.
Pradip Gharat, the Special Public Prosecutor, objected to the discharge pleas, claiming that the accused had repeatedly and persistently intimidated, harassed, and mistreated Payal Tadvi while she was a medical student. Gharat added that Tadvi was purposefully insulted, degraded, and threatened by the accused in front of patients, hospital employees, and associates. He added that Tadvi had complained to the college authorities about the accused before she committed suicide, and that many eyewitness accounts had been documented about the harassment. In addition, Gharat charged that the three had destroyed the suicide note.
On May 22, 2019, Dr. Payal Tadvi, 26, hanged herself in her dorm room. She attended the same college as the three accused doctors. They are accused of harassing, abusing, and ragging Tadvi due to her caste. A few days after the suicide, the accused were taken into custody, and on August 9, 2019, the Bombay High Court granted them bail. Mother of Payal, Abeda Tadvi, requested that the discharge pleas be dismissed, claiming that the accused was attempting to postpone the start of the trial with the pleas.
Many people have been following the case closely, demanding for structural improvements to stop tragedies like this one in the future and for justice to be served for Dr. Payal Tadvi. In order to resolve these issues and make those in charge answerable for their deeds, the court issued its decision. The case’s outcome and possible precedent for how instances of this kind are handled in the future will be determined by the trial that is about to take place.
Meanwhile, the court’s ruling serves as a reminder of how critical it is to confront discrimination and harassment based on caste in all areas, including medicine. It also emphasizes the necessity of safeguards and support networks for people dealing with these difficulties, as well as the need to see to it that victims of abuse receive justice.
SOURCE:
TIMES OF INDIA
