Mumbai: In a setback for the three female doctors, arrested for abetting the suicide of a junior colleague, a special court on Monday turned down their applications seeking bail. The special court, while junking their bail pleas, said that the trio can abscond and thus cannot be released.
Special Judge PB Jadhav was dealing with the pleas filed by of Hema Ahuja, Bhakti Meher and Ankita Khandelwal – all doctors at the BYL Nair hospital. The trio has been arrested for harassing and hurling caste abuses and abetting the suicide of their colleague Dr Payal Tadvi.
Dr Tadvi, a 26-year-old second-year postgraduate medical student, allegedly committed suicide in her hostel room on May 22 and the three accused were arrested on May 29.
Accepting the prosecution case, the special court noted the fact that after Dr Tadvi’s death, the trio went to her hostel room, but have no explanation for their ‘conduct.’
“The arrested doctors went to the hostel room where the deceased died. But they have no explanation as to why they went there. Also, the fact that they were absconding and were evading arrest, cannot be ignored,” the court said.
It further added, “It must be noted that the arrested doctors did not cooperate in the investigation. Thus, there is a possibility of them tampering with evidence or not remaining present for the trial. Hence, they cannot be released on bail.”
Having heard the orders pronounced in the open court, the three broke down in the court hall. Notably, the trio have till date claimed that they never ragged
Dr Tadvi and had only pulled her up for her poor performance. Their bail pleas were vehemently opposed by the prosecution and also her family.
The accused have been booked under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and under the Maharashtra Prohibition of Ragging Act and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
