Payal Tadvi was found dead in her hostel room on 22 May.
A 26-year-old resident doctor at Mumbai’s Nair hospital, Payal ended her life allegedly after repeated ragging, humiliation and harassment from three of her seniors.
Three of her senior doctors, Hema Ahuja, Bhakti Mehare and Ankita Khandelwal, allegedly repeatedly targeted and ragged Payal.
Why? Allegedly, because she was from the Adivasi community. She was the first girl from her community to do an MD. The Quint spoke to Payal’s mother Abeda Tadvi, and her husband Salman Tadvi for this podcast.
“She told me she was being tortured and harassed repeatedly. She said she was being harassed over her caste. They used to target her and rag her over her caste.”Abeda Tadvi, Payal’s mother
Payal told her family that the three women used casteist slurs, humiliated her in front of other patients and even threw files at her.
Apart from this, her family claims, they also piled increasing amounts of work on her. But her suicide had little to do with the work she was given.
What did Payal have to face that drove her to suicide? Repeated haranguing and harassment, allegedly. Her husband Salman spoke to us.
“The torture began soon after she joined. She used to get berated and yelled at for the tiniest things. She was fine initially, but in December she broke down. She said she couldn’t handle it, that they were targeting her over her caste. They humiliate me in front of all the patients.”Salman Tadvi, Payal’s husband
When Payal was sent back to her unit, the harassment continued. Her family then approached the college’s authorities hoping to meet the dean. Salman adds, “We spoke to the college authorities. The dean wasn’t available so we spoke to the head of her unit, Mrs. Chindling.”
“She asked me why Payal is the only one who always complains about things and said that if she takes any wrong step, the college won’t be responsible. We trust educational institutions and send people there. Is this how they should respond?”Salman, Payal’s husband
Maybe Payal would still be alive if the college had paid attention. Maybe Payal would still be alive if the college had taken action. Maybe Payal would have been alive if her seniors treated her better.
But none of these “maybes” matter anymore, because the help that Payal needed never came. Not from the college authorities she trusted, or from the seniors who were supposed to guide her.
The three women who allegedly caused Payal to take her own life have been arrested. The Resident Doctors’ Association has suspended them. But perhaps taking some of this action a little sooner, may have saved another bright mind.
Now Payal’s family has to come to terms with her death. And while they deal with this loss, they only want one thing. Justice.
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