Tadvi case: Court grants bail to 3 women doctors

Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Friday granted bail to the three women doctors arre-sted in the Dr Payal Tadvi suicide case. The HC granted bail to the trio of Dr Hema Ahuja, Dr Bhakti Mehare and Dr Ankita Khandelwal on a cash surety of '2 lakh, each.

The accused were granted bail after special public prosecutor (SSP) Raja Thakre told Justice Sadhana Jadhav that he had no objection as the chargesheet in the case had already been filed.

The Judge granted them bail on the condition that they would not leave the city without prior permission of the trial court. The court also prohibited them from visiting Nair Hospital or any other area under the jurisdiction of the Agripada police station.

Justice Jadhav further said that their medical licences should remain suspended till conclusion of trial in the case. “Let them remain in the public domain with this stigma,” the court said.

The accused moved the high court last month after a special court rejec-ted their bail pleas. Anot-her bench of the high cou-rt earlier directed that the proceedings in the case be video-recorded in accordance with the provisions of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.

However, advocate general (AG) of Maharashtra, Ashutosh Kumbhakoni, told the court Friday that the Act merely provided for video recording and not audio recording of the proceedings. He said that the purpose of such video recording was to use the footage for witness protection and not for including the same in the trial as evidence.

Meanwhile, advocate Thakre told the HC that the prosecuting agency had already communicated to the municipal commissioner its letter recommending a departmental inquiry against Dr Ching Ling Yee, head of the obstetrics and gynaecology department at the BYL Nair Hospital.

To this, the court said, “All custodians in all colleges must be aware that it is their duty to protect students and consider their complaints. In this case, the head of department has failed in her duty.”