Dr Payal Tadvi suicide case transferred to Mumbai Police's Crime Branch

The suicide case of Post-Graduate medical student Dr Payal Salman Tadvi has been transferred to the Crime Branch of the Mumbai Police.

"Considering the seriousness and importance of the case related to Dr Payal Tadvi's death, the investigation has been transferred to the Crime Branch with immediate effect," Mumbai Police PRO Manunath Singhe said on Thursday.

Tadvi's family had earlier demanded that the case be either transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or the Crime Branch.

Tadvi, who belonged to the Scheduled Tribe community, ended her life in her hostel room at BYL Nair Hospital here on May 22, allegedly after facing harassment from her seniors due to her caste.

A Mumbai-based court on Wednesday sent all three accused doctors in the case -- Ankita Khandelwal, Bhakti Mehre, and Hema Ahuja -- to the police custody for two days, ending Friday.

Dr Tadvi's family on Wednesday had sought the Sessions Court's directions to treat her death as murder.

The post-mortem examination report of Dr Tadavi's death released on Wednesday revealed the evidence of a ligature mark on her neck. Under 'provisional cause of death,' the post-mortem examination report stated 'evidence of ligature mark over the neck.'

After her death, the hospital administration had formed an anti-ragging committee to probe her suicide.

The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) has suspended the three doctors, who on Monday had written to the association urging for a fair probe.