Payal Tadvi suicide case: Mother writes to Maharashtra CM pleading government to file review against SC order

The mother of Payal Tadvi, a postgraduate student at BYL Nair Hospital who died of suicide last year, has written to Uddhav Thackeray, chief minister of Maharashtra

The mother of Payal Tadvi, a postgraduate student at BYL Nair Hospital who died of suicide last year, has written to Uddhav Thackeray, chief minister of Maharashtra and minister for law and judiciary, pleading to file a review petition against the order of the Supreme Court permitting the accused doctors to resume their postgraduate medical course in gynaecology and obstetrics.

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Payal Tadvi’s mother Abeda also said that they should allow these three doctors to resume their studies only after the trial in the case is over.

Twenty-six-year-old Tadvi, a second-year medical student at Dr BYL Nair Hospital, died by suicide on May 22 last year. The Mumbai Police had arrested three senior doctors namely - Dr Hema Ahuja, Dr Bhakti Mehar and Dr Ankita Khandilwal on May 29, 2019.

The accused were charged with abetment to suicide under section 306 of the Indian Penal Code and also for offences under provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act of 1989 and the Maharashtra Prohibition of Ragging Act of 1999.

After spending nearly two months in prison, they were granted bail by Bombay high court on August 7, 2019. The high court, however, ordered that the three shall not enter the college and the licences issued to them by the Medical Council of India as well as Maharashtra Medical Council would remain suspended until the conclusion of the trial in the case.

The Apex court last week relaxed the condition and said the three can go back to their studies provided they appear in court whenever the case is posted for a hearing and don’t attempt to influence witnesses. Against the order, the family wants the government to file a review petition.

In the letter written in Marathi, Abeda also claimed that the anti-ragging committee of the Dr BYL Nair Hospital in their report held the three doctors guilty of ragging the junior doctor. However, Abeda alleged that even after the report, no action has been taken against the doctors.

“Because of no action by the hospital, Maharashtra Medical Council, (MMC) ignored the report of the committee and revoked the suspension of the doctors. The doctors took the opportunity and approached the Apex court for relaxation in the condition. The government should now probe on who is responsible and take action,” Abeda said in her letter written in Marathi. Besides the family also staged a protest outside the hospital on Monday.