Just months after Dr Payal Tadvi, a doctor at the BYL Nair hospital, committed suicide allegedly due to caste based harassment by three resident doctors, Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission(MSHRC) gave a clean chit two of them as Payal's family failed to produce documents of written complaint.
MSHRC stated that Tadvi's family failed to produce document proof of written complaints to the two faculty heads against ragging that she faced for more than a year. Further, the commission also raised questions over why Tadvi's family did not take any action despite knowing the situation.
As reported by Indian Express, “The two doctors, through their lawyers, have explained the circumstances and put forth their side. They conveyed that they never received any written complaint from Dr Payal Tadvi or her family,” said MSHRC chairperson M A Sayeed.
Sayeed added that Payal's husband is a government employee and well aware that there are anti-ragging cells that take action in such cases.
“Dr Payal Tadvi’s husband is a government employee and well aware that there are anti-ragging cells that can take preemptive action. However, no complaints were made to either of the two heads of the department,” Sayeed said.
Earlier, Dr Yi Ching Ling and Dr S D Shirodkar, faculty heads of the department, were identified as accused in this case. Dr Ling was suspended and Dr Shirodkar was transferred to Cooper hospital.
Indian Express quoted Dr Salman Tadvi, Payal's husband saying, “We never gave a written complaint because we were continuously assured that our complaints will be heard and considered. We all were worried that giving a written complaint would impact her (Dr Payal Tadvi) career and increase the wrath of the seniors who were ragging her.”
However, Payal's mother, Abeda told the commission that they had met both the faculty heads and alerted them about the situation. The faculty assured the mother that action will be taken.
Dr. Salman also said that we never escalated the issue because they were assured that the matter would be taken care of.
Payal had hanged herself in her hostel room at Nair Hospital on May 22 after she was allegedly harassed by three resident doctors, namely, Dr Hema Ahuja, Dr Bhakti Mehare and Dr Ankita Khandelwal. They had been allegedly ragging Payal for more than a year.
However, they are out on a bail since August.
