The investigation into the alleged suicide of a 29-year-old government doctor in Phaltan, Satara district in Maharashtra has intensified following the arrest of both individuals named in her suicide note. The case, which has unearthed allegations of widespread harassment and political pressure, has triggered widespread outrage and protests across Maharashtra.
Police on Saturday confirmed the arrests of Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) Gopal Badane and Prashant Bankar, a software engineer and the son of the doctor’s landlord.
Accusations of Rape and Abetment
The female doctor, posted at the Phaltan sub-district hospital, was found dead in a hotel room on Thursday night. In a chilling suicide note reportedly written on her palm, she explicitly named PSI Badane, accusing him of repeated sexual assault, and Bankar, accusing him of mental harassment, over the last five months.
An FIR was registered against the duo under Sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) pertaining to rape and abetment of suicide.
- PSI Gopal Badane was arrested after surrendering at the Phaltan Rural Police Station on Saturday evening, following his suspension from service earlier on the orders of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
- Prashant Bankar was arrested earlier on Saturday. He was produced before a Satara district court, which remanded him to four days of police custody till October 28, to facilitate further investigation.
Wider Allegations and Political Pressure
The tragedy has brought to light a deeper crisis, as family members and political leaders allege the doctor was facing significant professional and political pressure.
Relatives claimed the doctor had been pressured by “political people” and police officials to alter post-mortem and medical reports of undertrial prisoners and in cases of unnatural death. A reported five-page letter written by the doctor to authorities prior to her death also details this alleged institutional harassment.
It is difficult and sensitive to address such a question, as it involves a tragic and complex case that is currently under investigation.
The question appears to refer to the recent case of a young woman doctor in Phaltan, Satara district, Maharashtra, India, who died by suicide.
Based on initial reports and the note she allegedly left:
- Rape and Sexual Harassment: The doctor’s suicide note, reportedly written on her palm, accused a police Sub-Inspector, Gopal Badane, of repeated sexual assault and rape over a period of several months.
- Mental Harassment: The note also accused a software engineer, Prashant Bankar (the son of her landlord), of mental and physical harassment.
- Work Pressure and Intimidation: The case is also linked to allegations that the doctor faced intense pressure and harassment from police and political figures to alter post-mortem reports and issue false fitness certificates to arrested persons. Her relatives claimed she had filed a complaint about this harassment earlier, but no action was taken.
Police have registered a case of rape and abetment of suicide against the two men named in her note, and both have been arrested or have surrendered to the police. The investigation is ongoing to establish the full sequence of events and motives.
The case has quickly taken a political turn:
- Opposition Claims: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve publicly alleged the involvement of a former BJP Member of Parliament in pressuring the doctor to declare a detained accused as ‘fit’ or ‘unfit’ on an earlier occasion.
- Denial: The former MP, Ranjitsingh Naik Nimbalkar, vehemently denied the accusation, calling the claims “baseless.”
- Government Response: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis spoke to the Satara Superintendent of Police and ordered the suspension of the accused PSI. He, however, criticized the opposition for “politicizing this sensitive issue.”
Medical Fraternity Demands Justice
The tragic death has spurred an outpouring of grief and anger from the medical community. Associations like the Central MARD, Association of Medical Officers (AMO), and FAIMA have condemned the incident, organizing black ribbon protests and demanding immediate action.
They have called for the case to be transferred to the State CID or an SIT to ensure an independent, fair, and time-bound investigation. Health Rights NGOs have also requested the government to implement a ‘Women’s Safety Policy’ in all government hospitals across the state, with some calling the death an “institutionalized murder” due to administrative apathy.
The police investigation continues, focusing on verifying the doctor’s claims, examining technical evidence like WhatsApp chats, and determining the full extent of the alleged professional and personal harassment she faced. Her family, who cremated her body in her native Beed district on Friday night, has demanded capital punishment for the accused.
