In Satara, an 28-year-old woman doctor working at a government hospital died by suicide in a hotel room, leaving a note written on her palm. She accused a sub-inspector of raping her four times over 5 months and named an officer for mental harassment
On Thursday night in the Satara district of Maharashtra, a female doctor employed at a government-run healthcare facility in the Phaltan sub-district hospital was discovered dead in a hotel room. The police described it as a suspected suicide. The doctor, aged around 28 years, originally from the Beed district, had taken up the post in Phaltan. Because her residence was far from the hospital, she frequently stayed in a nearby hotel after late shifts.
Hand-written note accuses police officers
What makes this case especially shocking is that the doctor left behind a note written on her palm in which she accused two police personnel of repeated abuse. In the note, she wrote that Sub-Inspector Gopal Badane had raped her multiple times over the last five months and had subjected her to both sexual and mental harassment. She also implicated another officer, Prashant Bankar, for causing her severe mental stress.
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She claimed the harassment and abuse pushed her into a state of extreme distress. A letter she submitted earlier, in June this year, raised similar allegations and requested investigation, but no visible action appears to have been taken.
Case registered, police officer suspended
Following the death of the doctor in Satara district, Maharashtra Police have registered a case against Police Sub-Inspector Gopal Badane and a civilian, Bankar, on charges of rape and abetment to suicide. The accused officer has been suspended with immediate effect, confirmed Satara SP Tushar Doshi, adding that a detailed investigation is underway.
Meanwhile, the victim’s cousin alleged that she faced police and political pressure to falsify post-mortem reports, and despite her attempts to complain, she received no relief. “My sister should get justice,” he said.
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The state’s Women’s Commission has taken cognisance and has ordered a full investigation into the earlier inaction and the fatal outcome of the doctor’s complaints.
Political uproar and public concerns
The incident has triggered strong reaction across political and public spheres. The opposition Congress party accused the ruling Mahayuti government of shielding police officers and failing to protect women in service. “When the protector becomes the predator, how will justice be served?” asked state Congress leader Vijay Namdevrao Wadettiwar.
Meanwhile, the ruling BJP says the case will be investigated thoroughly, with teams formed to arrest any absconding accused and a full FIR registered.
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This troubling incident raises several deeper questions:
- Why did the earlier complaint from the doctor, submitted in June, not result in visible action?
- How can the system ensure that women who report harassment receive protection rather than further risk?
- What measures are in place to hold law enforcement officers to accountability when they are the accused?
The fact that a woman working in a government hospital felt forced to end her life shows how severe the pressure and neglect may have been.
Investigations are ongoing. The body has been sent for post-mortem. Forensic testing of the note on her hand is underway to verify its authenticity. The local police in Satara have been instructed to track down any accused who may be absconding and to provide full cooperation to the Women’s Commission and other oversight bodies.