SATARA/NEW DELHI: The probe into the tragic death of a 28-year-old woman doctor in Maharashtra’s Satara district has taken a disturbing turn, with reports suggesting that a Member of Parliament had accused her over the phone of refusing to issue a fake fitness certificate for an arrested person.
According to PTI, the certificate would have enabled police to take the person into custody, and the doctor was allegedly targeted because she hailed from Beed district. The doctor, posted at the Phaltan sub-district hospital, was found hanging in a hotel room near her workplace on Thursday evening.
Note on Palm Reveals Harassment
Investigators discovered a message written on her palm, in which she accused sub-inspector Gopal Badane of repeated sexual assault and software engineer Prashant Bankar, her landlord’s son, of mental harassment. Police have filed an FIR for rape and abetment of suicide under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 64 and 108.
The doctor had reportedly complained to an internal inquiry committee that she faced systematic intimidation from police officials — including pressure to alter medical and post-mortem reports. In one instance, she was allegedly forced to declare a high-blood-pressure patient fit for custody, after which police removed the patient without treatment.
Despite filing a written complaint to the Deputy Superintendent of Police in June, no action was taken, she claimed.
Accused Officer Absconding
Satara Inspector General Sunil Phulari confirmed that the accused sub-inspector has been suspended and a special team has been formed to trace and arrest him and the other accused.
Satara SP Tushar Doshi said WhatsApp chats and written complaints submitted by the doctor form part of the evidence. A civil surgeon’s inquiry panel has also been constituted to determine whether her superiors acted on her repeated complaints.
Political Reactions
Political leaders have demanded a special investigation team (SIT) and a fast-track trial.
- NCP leader Dhananjay Munde said ignoring the doctor’s pleas because of her Beed origin would be “a grave injustice.”
- Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve said “this is a case where protectors turned predators” and urged that the inquiry be conducted by officials from outside Satara.
Ongoing Inquiry
Civil Surgeon Yuvraj Karape said the doctor, who was nearing the end of her second 11-month contract, often stayed in the hotel after late-night duties. Her allegations of police interference in medical work are now under detailed examination.
Activist Nitin Andhale has shared her purported statement online, highlighting how repeated harassment and official inaction may have pushed her to take the extreme step.
