Dr Payal Tadvi suicide case: Court orders to add ex-HOD as an accused for enabling caste-based harassment | Mumbai news

MUMBAI: A sessions court on Friday ordered that Dr Ching Ling Chiang, the former Head of the Gynaecology and Obstetrics Department at Topiwala National Medical College and BYL Nair Charitable Hospital, be added as an accused in the case linked to the suicide of 26-year-old Dr Payal Tadvi. Dr Chiang is accused of enabling and encouraging the harassment that allegedly led to Tadvi’s suicide in May 2019.

The special court, constituted under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, granted the prosecution’s request to frame charges against Dr Chiang. Prosecutors argued that she failed to act on multiple complaints of harassment from Tadvi and her family, thereby allowing the abuse to continue unchecked.

In November last year, Special Public Prosecutor Pradip Gharat filed an application before the sessions court seeking to include Dr Chiang as an additional accused. The prosecution claimed that despite repeated complaints from Tadvi and her family, Dr Chiang dismissed their concerns, saying such incidents were common in medical colleges.

Special Judge S M Tapkire, while allowing the prosecution’s application, observed that preliminary evidence indicated Tadvi and her relatives had approached Dr Chiang with complaints of harassment. The court noted that Dr Chiang failed to report the ragging and abuse to the college administration, either orally or in writing, thereby neglecting her duty as the department head.

Tadvi, a promising postgraduate student from the Scheduled Tadvi Bhil community, allegedly faced sustained caste-based harassment from three senior residents—Hema Ahuja, Bhakti Meher, and Ankita Khandelwal. The three were arrested in May 2019 and charged under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the Maharashtra Prohibition of Ragging Act, and other relevant laws. They are currently out on bail.

The prosecution highlighted that Tadvi’s mother, Abeda Salim Tadvi, and her niece, Asha Tadvi, had approached Dr Chiang to report the abuse. However, Dr Chiang allegedly dismissed their concerns, advising Tadvi to endure the harassment. According to the prosecution, this emboldened the accused seniors and intensified Tadvi’s suffering.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, Tadvi’s husband, Dr Salman Tadvi, welcomed the court’s decision. “We repeatedly complained, but the HOD never acted. If she had intervened, this tragedy could have been avoided. Payal had also mentioned in her suicide note that she sought help from the HOD multiple times, but no action was taken.” He added that just a week before the suicide, the family had met Dr Chiang, who allegedly insisted that Payal must obey her seniors.

The court’s decision to add Dr Chiang as an accused was based on Section 319 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), which allows courts to prosecute additional individuals if evidence suggests their involvement in a crime. Supporting the prosecution’s plea, the college’s ragging prevention committee had also recommended administrative action against Dr Chiang, holding her responsible for failing to curb the harassment that led to Tadvi’s death.

The Mumbai crime branch had filed a charge sheet in July 2019, detailing the caste-based abuse and ragging that Tadvi endured. The trial will now proceed with the framing of charges against all accused, including Dr Chiang, marking a crucial step in the pursuit of justice for Dr Payal Tadvi.