Mumbai Doctor Suicide Case: Husband Alleges it May be Murder, Seeks Govt Help

Payal Tadvi's suicide, now alleged murder, has stirred the nation causing several protests against caste discrimination.

Mumbai: The husband of Dr Payal Tadvi, who reportedly committed suicide last week at BYL Nair Hospital, has alleged that it may be a case of murder after all.

Payal’s husband Dr Salman Tadvi told news agency ANI, “We want the government to intervene, the police are not taking any action. It is possible Payal was murdered by the three women doctors.”

Dr Salman, Payal Tadvi’s (who committed suicide on May 22 after facing harassment at the hands of 3 senior doctors) husband: We want govt to intervene, police is not taking any action. It is possible Payal was murdered by the 3 women doctors. #Mumbai pic.twitter.com/oYPt3ki8Cl

— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2019

The Head of the Gynaecology department at BYL Nair Hospital has also been suspended until further notice owing to negligence over the issue.

Twenty-six-year-old Payal, who was a resident doctor at Mumbai’s BYL Nair Hospital, was found hanging at her hospital premises on May 22. She had confided about the harassment to her family in December 2018, however, no action was taken against the alleged suspects even after repeated complaints.

Payal was reportedly teased regularly at college as well as on WhatsApp groups by three female doctors – Dr Hema Ahuja, Dr Bhakti Mehar, and Dr Ankita Khandilwal. Following Payal’s death, their medical license was revoked.

Moreover, the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) has also suspended them of their ranks. The three absconding doctors have, however, appealed to MARD demanding a fair investigation against their case.

The suicide led to protest movements against the rising number of ‘institutional murders’ in the past decade. Comments on one’s caste or tribe are easily overlooked by institutions and many students still fail to receive support from their teachers and educational staff.