Crime Branch will now be able to question Hema Ahuja, Ankita Khandelwal and Bhakti Meher, who are lodged at Byculla jail
The accused doctors Bhakti, Hema and Ankita
The Bombay High Court on Saturday granted permission to the Crime Branch to question the main accused in the Payal Tadvi suicide case even as they continue to be in judicial custody at Byculla jail.
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Earlier this week the state forensic science lab (FSL) at Kalina retrieved the image of a suicide note from Tadvi's phone which has now been handed to the cops. On Saturday, during a hearing of the case the Crime Branch told the court that it suspected that the three accused—Hema Ahuja, Ankita Khandelwal and Bhakti Meher—destroyed the physical note that Tadvi left in her room at the time of the suicide. They have procured the CCTV footage which showed that after Tadvi's suicide, two of the accused had visited her room. On Saturday, the cops added section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender) of the Indian Penal Code to the charges against the accused.
Also Read: We knew Dr Payal Tadvi would not kill herself without naming culprits, say kin
According to police, Ahuja and Khandelwal had visited Tadvi's room after her body was found and taken to the trauma centre at Nair hospital where they all worked. The court, on the basis of Crime Branch's arguments and their request to examine the accused regarding suicide note which claimed harassment at the hospital, permitted them to visit the three at Byculla jail from Monday to Friday between 9 am to 5 pm for questioning. Meanwhile, a police officer told mid-day that nothing suspicious was found in the viscera samples sent to FSL for analysis.
Also Read: Mumbai doctor's suicide: Crime branch finds photo of Payal Tadvi's suicide note in phone
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