MUMBAI: All the three women doctors accused of abetting the suicide of Nair Hospital resident doctor Payal Tadvi (26) have been arrested by Agripada police.
"The three accused have been arrested and they will be produced before a special court at the Mumbai sessions court for their remand hearing," said Nitin Satpute, lawyer of Payal Tadvi's family.
After the police arrested Dr Mehare on Tuesday afternoon, a lookout was launched for her two absconding colleagues, Dr Hema Ahuja and Dr Ankita Khandilwal, who had sought anticipatory bails, said Mumbai police spokesperson DCP Manjunath Shinge. The three doctors have been arrested and booked under the IPC as well Maharashtra prohibition of Ragging Act and the Atrocities Act.
Dr Tadvi, who was pursuing gynaecology, hanged herself in her hostel room on May 22. The Jalgaon resident's family, which belongs to the Adivasi Tadvi Bhil community, a Scheduled Tribe, has blamed the three seniors for her suicide.
Dr Tadvi's husband Dr Salman and mother Abeda, who came to Mumbai on Tuesday, demanded "strictest action" against the three women doctors who they alleged had ragged her, humiliated her on WhatsApp through casteist remarks and overloaded her with work. The family told reporters they don't want another Payal to take an extreme step.
In another development, state medical education minister Girish Mahajan told reporters there was evidence with the police to suggest Dr Payal faced mental harassment. A report prepared by the 21-member anti-ragging committee of the civic-run Nair Hospital, which was submitted to the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) later on Tuesday reflects this, said sources.
Although social media was abuzz with reports of Mahajan saying there was harassment as well as casteist remarks by the seniors, the minister clarified to TOI that at present the police report only suggested ragging and mental harassment. Only after detailed police investigation (into the role of the three doctors) would it be possible to establish any casteist angle, he said.
Several members of Tadvi community continued their protests outside Nair Hospital, near Mumbai Central railway station, even Mahajan met their representatives and asked them to withdraw their protest and give the administration two more days more to bring the accused to book. The Tadvis agreed, but have threatened a scaled-up protest on June 2.
In midst of all the drama, the Nair Hospital's 21-member anti-ragging committee submitted its report to MUHS in Nashik. "We have sent the report by email and will follow it up with snail mail. And, only the MUHS will make the report public,'' said Nair Hospital dean Dr Ramesh Bharmal, adding that the hospital plans to hold fortnightly meetings with resident doctors to ensure that they get "better acclimatized" with the hospital set-up. "We will counsel them regularly so that we can spot the ones who need a helping hand," said Dr Bharmal, adding that the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors was a part of the plan.
Payal was the first in the family to pursue a medical degree, but she had been unhappy since she took up post-graduate studies at Nair Hospital. "She would constantly complain to her mother about the hard times she had at college. Either the seniors would ask her to rush to check on patients just when she was eating or ensure there was no water for her to take a bath. They would overload her with work," said her aunt from Jalgaon, Haseena Tadvi, who has been protesting outside Nair Hospital.
Payal's mother Abeda told reporters they had tried to raise the harassment issue with her department head since December. "She was put in another unit for two months, but brought back into the team that had the three doctors who troubled her," she said. Payal's husband said the problems began when she joined the team in May 2018. He said she was reminded about her tribe and told they would not let her learn anything. "She managed for six months, but thereafter we could sense that she was getting depressed," he said. They family made several attempts to meet the seniors, with the last being on May 10. They were asked to return after a fortnight. "But it was too late," said her mother Abeda
The family had sent a note about the problems to the dean on May 10, but withdrew it on May 13 as the doctor feared her plight would worsen. "As the letter was withdrawn, I had no knowledge about the harassment," said Nair Hospital dean Dr Bharmal.
"The three accused have been arrested and they will be produced before a special court at the Mumbai sessions court for their remand hearing," said Nitin Satpute, lawyer of Payal Tadvi's family.
After the police arrested Dr Mehare on Tuesday afternoon, a lookout was launched for her two absconding colleagues, Dr Hema Ahuja and Dr Ankita Khandilwal, who had sought anticipatory bails, said Mumbai police spokesperson DCP Manjunath Shinge. The three doctors have been arrested and booked under the IPC as well Maharashtra prohibition of Ragging Act and the Atrocities Act.
Dr Tadvi, who was pursuing gynaecology, hanged herself in her hostel room on May 22. The Jalgaon resident's family, which belongs to the Adivasi Tadvi Bhil community, a Scheduled Tribe, has blamed the three seniors for her suicide.
Dr Tadvi's husband Dr Salman and mother Abeda, who came to Mumbai on Tuesday, demanded "strictest action" against the three women doctors who they alleged had ragged her, humiliated her on WhatsApp through casteist remarks and overloaded her with work. The family told reporters they don't want another Payal to take an extreme step.
In another development, state medical education minister Girish Mahajan told reporters there was evidence with the police to suggest Dr Payal faced mental harassment. A report prepared by the 21-member anti-ragging committee of the civic-run Nair Hospital, which was submitted to the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) later on Tuesday reflects this, said sources.
Although social media was abuzz with reports of Mahajan saying there was harassment as well as casteist remarks by the seniors, the minister clarified to TOI that at present the police report only suggested ragging and mental harassment. Only after detailed police investigation (into the role of the three doctors) would it be possible to establish any casteist angle, he said.
Several members of Tadvi community continued their protests outside Nair Hospital, near Mumbai Central railway station, even Mahajan met their representatives and asked them to withdraw their protest and give the administration two more days more to bring the accused to book. The Tadvis agreed, but have threatened a scaled-up protest on June 2.
In midst of all the drama, the Nair Hospital's 21-member anti-ragging committee submitted its report to MUHS in Nashik. "We have sent the report by email and will follow it up with snail mail. And, only the MUHS will make the report public,'' said Nair Hospital dean Dr Ramesh Bharmal, adding that the hospital plans to hold fortnightly meetings with resident doctors to ensure that they get "better acclimatized" with the hospital set-up. "We will counsel them regularly so that we can spot the ones who need a helping hand," said Dr Bharmal, adding that the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors was a part of the plan.
Payal was the first in the family to pursue a medical degree, but she had been unhappy since she took up post-graduate studies at Nair Hospital. "She would constantly complain to her mother about the hard times she had at college. Either the seniors would ask her to rush to check on patients just when she was eating or ensure there was no water for her to take a bath. They would overload her with work," said her aunt from Jalgaon, Haseena Tadvi, who has been protesting outside Nair Hospital.
Payal's mother Abeda told reporters they had tried to raise the harassment issue with her department head since December. "She was put in another unit for two months, but brought back into the team that had the three doctors who troubled her," she said. Payal's husband said the problems began when she joined the team in May 2018. He said she was reminded about her tribe and told they would not let her learn anything. "She managed for six months, but thereafter we could sense that she was getting depressed," he said. They family made several attempts to meet the seniors, with the last being on May 10. They were asked to return after a fortnight. "But it was too late," said her mother Abeda
The family had sent a note about the problems to the dean on May 10, but withdrew it on May 13 as the doctor feared her plight would worsen. "As the letter was withdrawn, I had no knowledge about the harassment," said Nair Hospital dean Dr Bharmal.
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