Three accused doctors destroyed Payal Tadvi suicide note, say cops

MUMBAI: In a significant twist to the Dr Payal Tadvi case, it has emerged that the post-graduate medical student had left behind a three-page handwritten note before committing suicide on May 22 blaming three doctors, who have been arrested, of humiliation and harassment, police sources told TOI on Thursday.

The note itself is missing, but photographs of the pages were retrieved by state forensic laboratory officials from the 26-year-old Tadvi's cellphone, a source said. Tadvi seemed to have clicked pictures of the note and stored them on her cellphone, but the accused doctors, who were among the first to reach Tadvi's room after her suicide, had allegedly deleted them, the source added.

Dr Hema Ahuja, 28, Dr Bhakti Mehare, 26, and Dr Ankita Khandelwal, 27, - Tadvi's seniors at the medical college attached to B Y L Nair Hospital - were arrested on May 28-29 and are in judicial custody. Tadvi, who belonged to the Tadvi Bhil tribe, committed suicide by hanging in her hostel room. Her family alleged that she was harassed over her caste by the arrested doctors.
The suicide note details the harassment and torture she allegedly faced at the hands of the accused. It has mentioned each and every instance of humiliation over a one-year period, said the sources. Tadvi has mentioned how each of them tormented her about her caste and made her do additional work as punishment, they added.
Kalina Forensic Science Laboratories (FSL) gave Tadvi's cellphone report to the crime branch recently. On Thursday, police submitted a confidential report containing details of their findings to the Bombay high court, which is hearing the bail application of the three doctors. The police, in its nine-page reply, have mentioned that the three doctors were the first to reach Tadvi's room on May 22 after her suicide was discovered. The police are likely to invoke additional charges of Indian Penal Code Section 201 for destruction of evidence in the case.
Officials could retrieve data, including the deleted suicide note pictures, from Tadvi's phone which was in a good condition, said source, adding the hard copy of the suicide note is yet to be traced though, and could have been destroyed.
"This is a key piece of evidence against the accused and we may seek their police custody for further questioning." Police are not allowed to question the accused when they are in judicial custody.
The existence of a suicide note was one of the key arguments put forward by the Tadvi's family lawyer during the bail application hearing at the special court on June 24. The prosecution also contended that the entry of two doctors into Dr Tadvi's room who spent five minutes there after accompanying the group carrying the body till the lift indicated that something was amiss. Their images were captured on CCTV.
"Now, on the basis of the FSL finding, we have come to the conclusion that the accused doctors allegedly destroyed the suicide note while the other doctors were moving Tadvi's body out of her room," said another source.
A special court had denied the three doctors’ bail application on June 24.