Mumbai: A 23-year old postgraduate student of gynaecology from Topiwala National Medical College committed suicide on May 22 after being allegedly tortured by three of her seniors. A case has been registered against the trio who has absconded since the death of the victim.
The victim has been identified as Dr Payal Tadvi.
Abeda Tadvi, the mother of Payal, has alleged inaction from the college authorities. Hours before Dr Payal died, she told Abeda she was unable to bear the torment from the trio.
As per reports, Dr Payal was taunted regarding her caste and her admission to the course through the reservation. First six months were fine, but then when the harassment grew over time and her parents decided to act on it. Abeda said, “We had started reporting this to the officials concerned. We had even met a lecturer and the hostel warden, who had called these three seniors and asked them not to behave this way with Payal.
“She was advised to focus on her studies instead of responding to such acts. No other action was taken against the trio,” alleges Abeda.
Later, one of Dr Payal’s friends came to her room to call her for dinner, but she didn’t respond. Her worried friends informed guards, who broke open the door and found her hanging by a dupatta from a ceiling fan in the room. She was taken to the emergency ward, where doctors declared her dead. The body was then taken to JJ Hospital.
Payal’s parents have filed an FIR against the seniors, identified as Dr Hema Ahuja, Dr Bhakti Mehar and Dr Ankita Khandelwal.
“We have lodged a case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, Anti-Ragging Act and IT act and Section 306 of Indian Penal Code (IPC). Further probe is underway, ” informed Deepak Kundal, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Agripada.
Ms Kalinga