Medical student suicide: Never said she faced casteist slur, says gynaecology dept head

On May 13, after Payal’s mother Abeda Salim could not meet the hospital dean to submit a written complaint, she, along with Payal’s husband Dr Salman Tadvi and a relative had visited the gynaecology department to meet Ching Ling.

“I verbally communicated to her that my wife was being harassed and not allowed to perform delivery by the three seniors,” Salman Tadvi told The Indian Express. He alleged that Ching Ling did not take cognizance and instead questioned why Payal was the only student to complain.

Sources in the police said that Ching Ling said this was the first time she met Payal’s husband, mother and a relative. “She said they didn’t mention anything about casteist remarks. She called for a meeting of six doctors, including Payal and the three seniors, and asked them to stop fighting among themselves,” an officer said.

On Tuesday, the 21-member anti-ragging committee — set up in Nair hospital — submitted a report to the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences with alleged evidence that Payal was harassed and subjected to casteist remarks by the three gynaecology resident doctors (Dr Ankita Khandelwal, Dr Hema Ahuja and Dr Bhakti Mehare).

The report, however, does not have the statements of the three accused and of two senior gynaecology faculty members — Dr S D Shirodkar and Ching Ling. Committee members said the five did not present themselves in front of them.

“The report prepared after recording statements of several people found that the three doctors were harassing her (Payal). There is evidence of casteist remarks. We have assured the family that all three doctors will be arrested soon,” said state Medical Education Minister Girish Mahajan. He added that both department heads, especially Ching Ling, should have conveyed the issue to the hospital dean.

Mahajan also set up a committee to amend the existing Maharashtra Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1999. “We realised that there is a need to make the Act more stringent, to deter students from ragging in future. This case has been unfortunate, a family tried all channels and still the complaint did not reach the anti-ragging cell,” he said.

The protocol for registering a ragging complaint is for a student to either approach the anti-ragging cell or the unit or department head. “Every year, we sensitise our doctors and students on anti-ragging. The unit head should have forwarded this complaint to the dean or the department head,” said Nair hospital Dean Dr R N Bharmal.

Dr Avinash Supe, a former director of education of BMC, under which Nair hospital falls, said the teaching faculty is sensitised on what procedure to adopt in such complaints. “Usually, a student is counselled and an update taken six months later to ensure that the issue has been resolved,” he said.

In this case, while Payal was transferred for two months following the first complaint, she was posted back in the same unit as the three accused doctors in February. No conselling was undertaken in her case.

Meanwhile, statement of over 10 doctors from Nair hospital, including colleagues of Dr Tadvi, were recorded till late on Tuesday night. Agripada police recorded statement of dean and both departments head of gynaecology as well.

NCW issues notice

Taking suo moto cognizance of media reports on the suicide of medical student Payal Tadvi allegedly over being subjected to repeated casteist slurs by her seniors at Mumbai’s Nair hospital, the National Commission for Women (NCW) has issued a notice to hospital authorities and demanded an investigation into the matter.

NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma has directed Dr Avinas Supre, Director (ME&MH) at the Topiwala National Medical College and BYL Nair Charitable Hospital, to look into the case of the 26-year old doctor who was found hanging on the premises of the government-run hospital.

Three senior students have been booked under sections of SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, anti-ragging Act, IT Act and IPC section 306 (abetment of suicide). The notice refers to allegations by Payal’s family that she was harassed by her seniors and subject to casteist remarks.