Payal Tadvi suicide case: HC asks state to record statements of 6 more witnesses

The Bombay high court (HC) recently directed the state to record statements of six more witnesses before it could hear the bail plea of the three doctors – Dr Hema Ahuja, Dr Bhakti Mehare and Dr Ankita Khandelwal – accused of ragging and harassing Dr Payal Tadvi, which led her to suicide on May 22.

A bench of justice Sadhana Jadhav also gave an advisory to book Dr Yi Ching Ling, head of the gynaecology department, Nair Hospital, under the Maharashtra Anti-Ragging Act, 1999, after it was informed that she had failed to take cognisance of complaints of ragging by Tadvi and her family against the accused doctors.

The advocate for the appellant doctors told the court that giving bail to his clients would not affect the trial and according to the anti-ragging law, the accused doctors could be given bail.

However, chief public prosecutor Raja Thakare, representing the state, said the accused may influence witnesses whose statements are yet to be recorded so they should not be given bail.

The advocate for the accused doctors also sought a restriction of media coverage on the hearing, which is being done via camera.

Justice Jadhav then directed the state government to record the statements of the “sensitive and important witnesses” and update the court, and refused to indulge the appellants’ plea to restrain media.

The appeal has now been posted for further hearing on August 9.