1 arrested in Muslim doctor's suicide case
Mumbai, May 28: One of the doctors accused of abetting the suicide of a junior female colleague by tormenting her with casteist slurs was arrested here on Tuesday, police said.
The Agripada police arrested Bhakti Mehere after initial interrogation, an officer said.
Mehere and two other doctors, Ankita Khandelwal and Hema Ahuja, were booked after the woman, Payal Tadvi committed suicide, the police said.
All three moved an anticipatory bail application before the sessions court here on Tuesday and it is likely to come up for hearing on Wednesday.
The trio has been booked under relevant provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the Anti-Ragging Act, the IT Act and Section 306 (abetment to suicide) of the Indian Penal Code.
Tadvi hanged herself last Wednesday, following which the 26-year-old's family alleged that the senior doctors tortured her by ragging and hurling casteist abuses as she belonged to a Scheduled Tribe.
Tadvi's parents protested at the state-run hospital in Mumbai where she worked. Other protesters also joined Tadvi's mother Abedam and husband Salman, demanding stringent action against the three seniors.
The Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, and other Dalit and tribal organisations held protests outside the B Y L Nair Hospital.
Abeda asked whether the government would take responsibility for the safety of students like her daughter, who are pursuing higher education.
"Payal used to tell me about the torture which she was facing by her seniors on petty issues. They threw files on her face in front of patients," she said.
"Payal used to tell me not to give a written complaint against her seniors despite being harassed by them. She would say that doing so would adversely impact their career," Abeda said.
She said Tadvi would have been the first woman MD (doctor of medicine) from their community.
Salman, a doctor, said it was possible that Tadav was "murdered" by the three women doctors.
Expressing solidarity with the protesters and with Tadvis family, Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad said he would visit Maharashtra if needed to "fight for justice for our younger sister".
The state women's commission has also taken cognisance of the matter and issued a notice to the hospital authorities.
On Tuesday, it wrote a letter to the Mumbai police commissioner, seeking a thorough investigation in the case.
The panel, which termed the case "very serious", has sought a report from the police within eight days, an official said.
It said there was a need to take stringent action against the accused under sections of abetment to suicide, the SC/ST Act and Anti-Ragging Act, the official said.
In a related development, the anti-ragging committee of Nair Hospital submitted its report in Tadvi's suicide case to the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences.
"We have submitted our sealed report to the MUHS," said Ramesh Bharmal, Dean, Nair Hospital, who did not reveal any details of the report, saying it was confidential.
"We are cooperating with the police in their investigation and providing whatever help they want," Bharmal told PTI.
In the morning, Minister for Medical Education Girish Mahajan visited the hospital and also met the protesters and parents of the victim, the official said.
The Mumbai Congress demanded that all the three doctors booked in the case be tried in a fast-track court.
A delegation led by of Mumbai Congress president Milind Deora met Joint CP (Law and Order) Vinay kumar Chaube and made the demand.
In a statement, the Mumbai Congress said Tadvi's suicide was unfortunate and a serious issue.
"The Tadvi family should get justice. The three doctors should be punished severely. A message should go out in Mumbai and Maharashtra that there is no place for casteism in educational institutions," it said.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena spokesperson Neelam Gorhe said those accused of abetting Tadvi's suicide should be booked under IPC section 302 (murder).
She demanded that Mahajan take a review of all anti- ragging committees in education institutions in the state.
Gorhe said the issue would be raised in the state legislature session starting from June 17.
The three accused had on Monday sought a "fair probe" in the case.
In a letter to the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD), the accused said they wanted the college to conduct a fair investigation into the matter and "give justice" to them.
"This is not the way to do an investigation through police force and media pressure, without hearing our side," the three doctors said in the letter.
The MARD has suspended the three doctors.
"We have credible inputs that the three doctors made casteist remarks against Dr Payal Tadvi, who allegedly committed suicide. We will cooperate with the police for the further investigation," a senior MARD official said.
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Bihar: Over 150 children fall ill after consuming 'mid-day meal' in Saharsa
Saharsa (PTI): More than 150 children were taken ill after allegedly consuming food that was part of the mid-day meal in a school in Bihar’s Saharsa district, a senior official said on Thursday.
The incident occurred at a middle school in Baluaha village of the district.
The official said that 115 children were undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital, while around 50 students were admitted to Mahishi Public Health Centre.
“We received information that several children fell ill after consuming the mid-day meal in Baluaha. The children were initially treated at the primary health centre, but later, many were referred to the Sadar Hospital,” Saharsa District Magistrate Deepesh Kumar told reporters.
“According to doctors, the health condition of the children has improved, but they will be kept under observation for some time. There is no need to panic. Some kids are having mild fever. They are being treated accordingly,” Kumar said.
Meanwhile, family members of some children claimed that a snake was found in the container in which cooked pulses was stored at the school.
Of the 545 students present in the school, 200 had already eaten their meals by the time the snake was spotted, and later complained of stomach ache and vomiting, they said.
Regarding the claims, the DM said food samples have been collected from the school.
“We will be able to comment on this only after the results of the tested samples arrive,” he said.
