Three senior doctors of BYL Nair Hospital have beenbooked for abetment of suicide on Thursday after a 26-year-old post-graduatestudent at the hospital committed suicide by hanging herself at the collegehostel on Wednesday.

The deceased Payal Tadvi was harassed by the threedoctors as she belonged to a lower caste, her family members alleged. On thebasis of a complaint lodged by Tadvi’s parents, the Agripada police haveregistered a case against Dr Hema Ahuja, Dr Bhakti Mehar and Dr AnkitaKhandilwal under section 306 (abetment for suicide) of the Indian penal code(IPC), sections of the SC/ST Atrocities Act, Anti-Ragging Act and InformationTechnology Act, 2000.

Dr Ramesh Bharmal, dean, BYL Nair Hospital remainedunavailable for a comment. However, the administrative medical officer (AMO) ofthe hospital said that the woman was a second-year gynaecology student and theexact cause of suicide is yet unknown.

On Wednesday evening, Tadvi was found hanging on theeight floor of the college hostel. After primary investigation, police hadregistered an accidental death report (ADR) case. However, Tadvi’s parents cameto Mumbai and filed a case against the three doctors on Thursday, police said.

“On Wednesday, we had registered a case ofaccidental death. However, we registered a case against the three doctors forabetment of suicide after Tadvi’s family lodged a complaint on Thursday.Investigations are on,” said S Agawane, senior police inspector, Agripadapolice station.

According to the police, Tadvi was in hersecond-year of doctor of medicine (MD) at Nair Hospital. She was a native ofJalgaon and had completed her MBBS from Miraj, a city in the southern part ofthe state. Tadvi’s husband, Dr Salim Tadvi, worked as an assistant professor atCooper Hospital in Mumbai.

Nilesh Tadvi, brother of Tadvi, said, “On Wednesday,I received a call informing us that Tadvi was admitted in ICU. On reachingMumbai, we got to know that she was no more.”

“Tadvi had been complaining about three seniordoctors at the hospital who were harassing her from a long time. She allegedthat the doctors would not allow her to meet her husband or have food duringworking hours as she belonged to a lower caste. They also threatened her thatshe would not be able to complete her MD,” Nilesh said.

Abeda Salim Tadvi, 53, Tadvi’s mother, said that sheused to often visit Nair Hospital for her cancer treatment.

“Whenever I visited the hospital, I noticed that thethree doctors would not allow my daughter to meet me. On Wednesday, at around4pm, Tadvi gave me a call and started crying and narrated the harassment shewas facing. I ensured her that we will visit her on Thursday and look forsolutions to the problem,” Abeda said.

Tadvi’s family claimed that Tadvi was also harassedon a group that was made for doctors on WhatsApp. The doctors used to humiliateher on the group as she belonged to scheduled caste (SC).

“A few months back, Tadvi had sent us screenshots ofthe chat on the WhatsApp group. We had approached the superintendent of policeof Jalgaon complaining about the issue. However, we have submitted the chats tothe police now,” said Tadvi’ relative.

Salim Tadvi, Tadvi’s father, has appealed to thepolice to take strict actions against the three doctors who took his daughter’slife.