Doctor’s rape, suicide: In old ‘statement’ to panel, she accused MP of ‘pressure’

The 28-year-old woman doctor who allegedly died by suicide in Maharashtra's Satara district had called one of the accused before ending her life, and the two had also exchanged text messages, police said on Friday.

The doctor, posted at a government hospital in Phaltan, was found hanging inside a hotel room in the town on Thursday night. In her suicide note written on her palm, she alleged that police sub-inspector Gopal Badane raped her on multiple occasions, and software engineer Prashant Bankar mentally harassed her. The woman lived as a tenant in a flat owned by Bankar's father, a senior police official said.

She had called Prashant Bankar, who works in Pune, over phone before ending her life, and the two had also exchanged chat messages on mobile phone, he added.

She was under pressure, from officials and even an MP

Meanwhile, as per a purported reply submitted by the woman doctor to police authorities in Satara district after a subordinate police official complained about her, she faced threats from police officials over her way of working, and taunts over the crime in her home district of Beed. A relative of the doctor has claimed she often faced pressure from police to change post-mortem reports and also to modify medical test reports of arrested persons brought to the hospital. Nitin Andhale, an activist, posted the woman doctor's purported statement given to an inquiry committee.

Accordingly, an MP once accused her, over phone, of not giving a fitness certificate to an arrested person (which would have enabled police to seek his custody) because she belonged to Beed. Police could have asked other doctors to examine the person but this was not done, she claimed.

She also purportedly mentioned the case of another woman who had a headache due to high blood pressure, and alleged that police pressured her to give a fitness certificate and later took the patient away without further treatment. It is learnt that an MP once accused her, over phone, of not giving a fitness certificate to an arrested person.

PSI Badane once threatened her in the hospital, the statement alleged. Despite her complaint to the deputy Superintendent of Police in June this year, no action was taken, it said.

Police officer suspended

Sub-inspector Badane was suspended from service after his name came up during the probe, the official said. A case of alleged rape and abetment to suicide has been registered against Badane and Bankar, he added. No arrest has been made in the case yet.

Parties seek SIT probe

NCP leader Dhananjay Munde and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve on Friday separately demanded independent investigation into the alleged suicide.

In a post on X, Munde, a former state minister, said if the woman's superiors had ignored her complaints -- as alleged -- because she had a particular surname or she belonged to Beed district, it was a serious matter.

"The entire incident should be probed through an SIT and the trial should be conducted in a fast-track court," said the NCP leader from Beed, adding that he would be writing a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to put forth these demands.

Danve, a former leader of opposition in the legislative council, also evoked the woman's Marathwada origins. "The suicide of this daughter of Marathwada who rose in life by struggling since her birth shows that the protectors have turned predators," he said, adding that an independent inquiry committee of officials from outside Satara district should be appointed.

(With Agency inputs)

(Suicides can be prevented. For help please call Suicide Prevention Helplines: Neha Suicide Prevention Centre – 044-24640050; Aasara helpline for suicide prevention, emotional support & trauma help — +91-9820466726; Kiran, Mental health rehabilitation — 1800-599-0019, Disha 0471- 2552056, Maithri 0484 2540530, and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.)