A coalition of anti-caste discrimination and tribal organisations have appealed to the Maharashtra government to seek a direction from the Supreme Court to prevent the accused doctors who have been booked for allegedly abetting the suicide of Dr. Payal Tadvi from resuming their postgraduate studies at any medical college in the State.
Dr. Tadvi, a second-year postgraduate medical student at Nair hospital in Mumbai, was found dead on May 22 last year. “One cannot be given admission to another college after being accused of a crime in one college. Going by the charge sheet filed in the sessions court, this is a case of casteist mental torture in higher educational institutions,” said Dr. Sanjay Dabhade, convener of Jati Anta Sangharsh Samiti, a collective of anti-caste discrimination organisations in Maharashtra.
Dr. Dabhade said this is an important case as for the first time an incident of ‘casteist abuse’ in higher educational institutes is being discussed in the apex court and the State government is expected to take a strong position on the matter.
He said all Ambedkarite and tribal organisations are united in not allowing the accused gain admission to medical colleges in the State as they have been charged with serious crimes like casteism, abetment to suicide, tampering with evidence. Dr. Dabhade said it would set a bad precedent.
On August 9 last year, the Bombay High Court prohibited the accused from entering the premises of Topiwala National Medical College to ensure that they do not influence witnesses in the case. The court also turned down their plea to grant permission to continue their medical education at another college.
The accused then filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court challenging the High Court’s decision. The apex court then asked the Medical Council of India (MCI) to give its opinion on the matter. On August 11, the MCI, in its reply, cited two instances where medical students were permitted to migrate to another college to resume their postgraduate education: a student from Jhajjar in Haryana after a college shut down and students of ESI Postgraduate Medical College in Andheri, where a fire broke out.
The Supreme Court has asked the Maharashtra government to give its opinion on allowing the accused to complete their education at any other college run by the State or the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in its next hearing on August 31.
“There will be protests across the State if the government allows them to migrate to another college,” Dr. Dabhade said.
