Tadvi, a second-year gynaecology student at BYL Nair hospital, had died by suicide on May 22, 2019.The three accused doctors booked on charges of abetting the suicide of Dr Payal Tadvi filed a plea before a special court on Friday seeking to restrict the role of the complainant in the case, Tadvi’s mother Abeda, in the trial.
“The sole intention of the intervener/complainant (Abeda) is to ensure that the prosecution of the accused persons… is made persecution,” the plea filed by doctors Hema Ahuja, Bhakti Mehare and Ankita Khandelwal said.
It added that the court in March had passed an order to allow Abeda to intervene to the extent mentioned in Section 301 of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), as per which, the complainant can assist the prosecutor and submit written arguments after depositions in the case is over.
The plea stated that these provisions do not allow for the intervener to file a reply on pleas filed by the accused or the prosecution. “…Anything done by her (Abeda) beyond assisting the prosecution… should be ignored/non-considered… in the interest of justice,” it added.
The court has directed the complainant and the prosecution to file a reply to the plea.
The three doctors face charges under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, Maharashtra Prohibition of Ragging Act and Indian Penal Code.