Did caste slur drive Hubbali doctor to suicide?

HUBBALLI: Was Dr Omkar Baridabad driven to suicide by discrimination over caste? Did his death mirror that of Dr Payal Tadvi, the Maharashtra doctor who killed herself on May 22 after being humiliated over belonging to a scheduled tribe?
These are the questions haunting Omkar’s family since the PG student hanged himself in his hostel room at PGIMS Rohtak on June 13.
“Reserved quota” was how he was allegedly referred to in class by Dr Geeta Gathwala, the paediatrics HoD at PGIMS, say Omkar’s classmates and colleagues. “Even when he went to submit his thesis, she allegedly rejected it, saying ‘reserved candidates can’t write theses properly’. Probably, he was fed up of such remarks,” said Omkar’s brother Mahantesh. Students at PGIMS said Omkar was shocked at Gathwala’s remarks in class and while criticising his thesis.
PGIMS Rohtak director Dr Rohtash K Yadav was unavailable for comment.
The Baridabads belong to a scheduled tribe and Omkar had got a seat at PGIMS Rohtak under the ST category. “But he was a good student. He scored around 80% in school and college,” says Mahantesh.
Rajesh L Pathi, a PG student at PGIMS Rohtak from Bengaluru, said Gathwala harassed all students but Omkar bore the brunt. “I don’t know why she did that. Maybe, because he was from Karnataka and from a reserved category,” he said. “We continue to protest demanding her arrest. We suspect the PGIMS administration and police are trying to protect her. Police have filed an FIR against students instead, accusing them of vandalism.” Gathwala has been booked for abetting Omkar’s suicide.
In 2017, efforts were made to frame Omkar in the case of a missing infant though he had not treated the baby. “He was accused by seniors belonging to upper castes. Police, too, allegedly told him that it would be easy to get a clean chit for a Dalit,” said a classmate .
Denial of leave to attend his sister’s wedding proved to be the last straw. “Though he had not received his stipend, he did not ask us for money due to my daughter’s marriage,” said Manik, Omkar’s father, a railway mechanic. “Though the marriage was scheduled for June 12 in Bidar, his HoD sanctioned leave from June 13 to 17. He requested her for leave on June 23 when the reception but she refused that too.”
Omkar’s mother Premala said: “I feel it’s not suicide. Omkar did not even know how to lace his shoes. How could he tie the noose around his neck? Someone has murdered him.”