A 29-year-old woman doctor from Satara district, Maharashtra, died by suicide after allegedly being raped and harassed by two men — a police sub-inspector and her landlord’s son.
Police said the doctor was found hanging in a hotel room on Thursday night, October 23. A note written on her palm in Marathi claimed that she was raped four times by Phaltan City police sub-inspector Gopal Badane, who is also her relative and has now been suspended. The note also mentioned that her landlord’s son, Prashant Bankar, had been mentally and physically harassing her for the past few months.
The doctor worked as a medical officer on contract at a government hospital in Phaltan. Based on her family’s complaint, both accused have been booked for rape and abetment to suicide. Bankar has been arrested, while the police are still searching for Badane.
According to the doctor’s cousin, she was under pressure from police and political figures to make fake medical fitness and post-mortem reports, which she refused to do. He also said she had filed a complaint against three police officers earlier this year.
The case has caused a political uproar. Opposition leaders, including those from Congress and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), have blamed the government for failing to protect women and demanded an independent probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT).
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed strict action against the accused.
