Chilling minutes before and after Dr. Payal Tadvi's death

Charge sheet cites abuse and threats on May 22 evening and shocking details of how two doctors went to her room to - destroy evidence - even as Payal's body was being wheeled out

The three doctors accused in Dr Payal Tadvi's suicide were indeed present in her room minutes after her suicide, allegedly "to destroy evidence," the charge sheet filed by the crime branch has revealed. The detailed charge sheet includes an analysis of the CCTV footage of May 22 from Nair Hospital. It shows Dr Hema Ahuja and Dr Ankita Khandelwal entering Dr Tadvi's room immediately after her body was taken out by the staff.

They stayed there for five minutes before exiting. The two, police alleged, destroyed the original copy of the suicide note which was later recovered from Dr Tadvi's mobile phone. In her suicide note, Dr Payal Tadvi has held all three senior doctors — Dr Hema Ahuja, Dr Bhakti Mehare and Dr Ankita Khandelwal — responsible for her action.

Dr Payal Tadvi with her husband

According to the chargesheet, the following sequence of events was noted on May 22 at Nair Hospital:

7.45 am: Dr Hema Ahuja showed some Instagram pictures of Dr Tadvi to Dr Snehal Shinde and Dr Anurupa Naik and asked them where Payal was. The pictures were from the night of May 21 when Dr Tadvi had dinner with Dr Mandar Patil, Dr Rashmi Patil and Dr Shubham Rangbhal at Delhi Darbar

Between 12 noon and 2 pm: Dr Ahuja shouted at Dr Tadvi in the operation theatre. Peers, including Dr Rashmi Patil, saw Dr Tadvi crying in the recovery room.

3.49 pm: Dr Tadvi called her mother to narrate the operation theatre incident. Dr Ahuja, Dr Tadvi recalled, said to her, 'Battisi dikha ke kya hans rahi hai, main teri battisi tod dungi' [Why are you showing your teeth? I will break them]
4:26 pm: Dr Tadvi went to her hostel room and spoke to Dr Naik and Dr Shinde
4.51 pm: Dr Tadvi got a call from Dr Ahuja and they spoke for 1 minute and 21 seconds
7.06 pm: Dr Ahuja and Dr Mehare came to the eighth floor of the hostel from the ninth floor and went towards Dr Tadvi's room, and called Dr Shinde too
7.15 pm: Dr Shinde reached Dr Tadvi's room
7.16 pm: Dr Khandelwal reached too
7.20 pm: Security guards were called
7.30 pm: Dr Tadvi was taken out of her room on a stretcher immediately after which Dr Ahuja and Dr Khandelwal who were near the stairs entered Dr Tadvi's room no 806
7:35pm: They exited the room
8.53 pm: Dr Tadvi's room was locked by security guards and a resident doctor Dr Neeraj Mahajan

"During the course of investigation, it was found that the accused doctors have destroyed the suicide note out of fear since their names were in it. But Dr Tadvi had clicked pictures of her suicide note before committing suicide," said an officer privy to the investigation in the case.

The charge sheet also mentioned that Dr Tadvi wanted to be a gynaecologist to help her community. Dr Tadvi committed suicide on May 22 allegedly over the repeated casteist abuse she was facing from her senior doctors at the hospital.

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

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!