Mumbai doctor's suicide: Mom took back complaint 9 days before suicide

Dr Payal Tadvi with her mother Abeda and husband Dr Salman

Another revelation has come about in the case of Dr. Payal Tadvi's suicide. Close to 10 days before she took the extreme step, her mother Abeda had visited the dean of Topiwala National Medical college and BYL Nair hospital, Dr. Ramesh Bharmal, with another relative Asha and filed a complaint citing harassment by seniors and requesting a change in Dr. Payal's unit. However, when Dr Payal's husband Dr. Salman was informed about it, he came to the hospital and asked for the letter to be retracted.

Harassed for a year

According to Dr. Payal's family, she was being harassed on the basis of her caste by three of her seniors ever since she joined the college. It didn't stop despite verbal complaints being made to warden of the hostel and the unit head of the gynaecology and obstetrics department.

Abeda and Asha went to meet the dean on May 13. "We had gone to meet the dean and submit the detailed complaint. We met a peon outside dean's office who told us to submit a copy of the complaint to the inward section of the administration," Abeda told the police in her statement.

Dr Ramesh Bharmal

Abeda and Asha did the same and got a signed and stamped acknowledgement of the complaint. Then, Dr. Salman reached the office and asked them what they were doing there. When Abeda said they've filed a written complaint to the dean, he asked them to drop it.

"Dr. Salman told us if we submit the complaint, it might escalate the torture being meted out to Payal and we must not do this. We went to the inward section again and retracted the complaint copy," Abeda added.

Also Read: Mumbai doctor's suicide: Make central anti-ragging law more stringent, says state

'Would have acted on it'

The complaint mentioned all the torture being faced by Dr Payal since a year, and how she was unable to shower for as much as four days due to the work pressure, which had also resulted in an infection.

At the end of complaint, Abeda had urged the dean to change Dr. Payal's unit so she can get away from the daily torture. Dr. Salman did not respond to any calls or messages.

"Had this letter been submitted to us, we would have surely acted upon it. Neither the family nor the unit head approached by them reached out to me," said Dr. Bharmal.

Also Read: Nair Hospital's first-year PG student: Worked 24 hours... six more hours to go

One from accused trio of seniors arrested

One of the doctors accused in the suicide was finally arrested on Tuesday afternoon. Dr. Bhakti Mehare was held from the premises of the sessions court when she came to file for anticipatory bail. She will be produced in the sessions court on Wednesday. The other two accused seniors, Hema Ahuja and Ankita Khandelwal remain at large. The trio has applied for anticipatory bail. Meanwhile, Dr. Yi Ching Ling, the former unit head of the gynaecology and obstetrics department at Nair hospital, accused of not acting on Dr Payal and her family's complaints, told cops in her statement, "We conducted meetings regarding the complaint, when Dr. Payal told me about the consistent work pressure being put by seniors. I told her that everybody here is under tremendous workload; she should not feel like she is the only victim." Cops have also recorded the statement of Central MARD president Dr. Kalyani Dongre and 10 students. Around 8.30 pm, Dr. Ramesh Bharmal, dean of Nair college, reached the ACP's office to record his statement.

Also Read: Mumbai doctor's suicide: Did the accused remove her suicide note, ask family

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates