Payal Tadvi: Sessions Court Rejects Bail Plea Of Three Doctors Accused Of Abetting The Suicide

The City Civil and Sessions court in Mumbai rejected bail pleas filed by three doctors who allegedly were responsible in abetting Payal Tadvi's suicide. The 26-year-old Tadvi was in the second year of MD at BYL Nair hospital.

Ankita Khandelwal, Hema Ahuja and Bhakti Mehare are third-year resident doctors at BYL Nair hospital and they allegedly tormented Tadvi about her tribe. On May 22, Tadvi hung herself in her hostel room. She belonged to the Tadvi Bhil Muslim community, a Scheduled Tribe.

The accused doctors have been booked under section 306 (abetment of suicide) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code and under the Maharashtra Prohibition of Ragging Act and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Special Public Prosecutor Raja Thakare argued on behalf of the crime branch, Advocate Aabad Ponda appeared for the accused, Advocate Gunratan Sadavarte represented the Payal Tadvi's family.

The court refused to grant bail to the accused and extended their judicial custody till July 6. The accused, who are currently lodged at Byculla jail, broke down outside the courtroom.

The accused allegedly passed humiliating remarks against Payal Tadvi's picture which was on her friends WhatsApp status. She was even scolded in the operation theatre in front of everyone.

Aabad Ponda argued that the said case cannot be termed as a case of abetment as his clients had merely reprimanded Tadvi for not doing her job. However, SPP Raja Thakare opposed the bail applications, saying there was prima facie material to incriminate the accused.

SPP Thakare had argued in an earlier hearing that the accused persons reached the crime spot even before others learnt about the suicide and then re-visited after Payal Tadvi's body was taken out from the hostel room. According to him, this raised suspicion and the accused did not seem to have an explanation for the same.

The only logical reason could be that accused wanted to destroy the suicide note, clear evidences from the phone and destroy evidence of the materials used to commit the crime. These are all signs of the accused having committed the crime calmly, in a well-planned manner, Thakare stated.