Dr. Payal Tadvi’s death to be probed by Mumbai Crime Branch

In a significant development, the Mumbai Police Crime Branch will take over the investigations into the alleged suicide of Mumbai medico Payal S. Tadvi, official sources said on Thursday.

The development came a day after the three senior women doctors, Bhakti Meher, Hema Ahuja and Ankita Khandelwal, accused of abetment to suicide and other charges, were sent to police custody till Friday by a Mumbai court.

"Considering the seriousness and importance of the case related to Payal Tadavi's death, the investigation has been transferred to Crime Branch," Mumbai Police spokesperson Manjunath Shinge told IANS.

"We had demanded that given the circumstances of the matter, the case should be taken over by the Crime Branch. We discussed it with Shiv Sena leader Neelam Gorhe who in turn raised it with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis," Tadvi's family lawyer Nitin Satpute told IANS.

A Second Year Post-Graduate student of Gynaecology, 26-year-old Tadvi committed suicide in her hostel room on May 22 at the government-run BYL Nair Hospital.

Her family claimed she was driven to suicide by casteist remarks on her Muslim tribal background and other forms of personal and professional harassment.

Her suicide has put the spotlight on Hindu names commonly used in Tadvi Bhil Muslim tribal community, found in parts of Maharashtra.

The Tadvi community is listed under Scheduled Tribes and is also found in pockets of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Payal belonged to the Tadvi Bhil Muslim community.

Tadvi Bhils are a sub-caste of the Bhil community and among them, those who adopted Islam are known as Tadvi Bhil Muslims, said a social activist from Payal's home district Jalgaon in north Maharashtra.

Jalgaon district has over 60,000 Tadvi Bhil Muslims, the largest number in Maharashtra. The community is mainly spread in Raver, Yawal and Chopda regions of the district, the activist said.

Asked about the tribal community following Islam as religion, he said, "It is very interesting in our part that many newborn boys and girls have names not typically from Islam or a particular book. You will find many young boys and girls having Hindu names as well. Names like Sagar and Sameer are quite common in Tadvi community following Islam."

However, the Tadvi Bhil Muslims are not so rigid while practicing Islam and also retain aspects of Hindu culture, he said. "Many women from the community wear a sari," he added.

"They offer namaaz but they will also fold and join their hands in front of an idol," the activist said.

The Tadvi Bhils were a nomadic tribe living in hills and many converted to Islam when Aurangazeb toured Burhanpur, an important Mughal outpost (now in Madhya Pradesh).

Payal's family claims that she was the first woman in their community to become a gynaecologist and this was a big achievement, considering the low literacy rates among Tadvi Bhil Muslims.

(With inputs from agencies)