The Maharashtra police have arrested Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) Gopal Badane in connection with the suicide of a 28-year-old woman doctor in Satara district. Badane is accused of rape and abetment to suicide. The arrest comes after a co-accused, Prashant Bankar, was apprehended earlier in the day.
The woman doctor, who worked at a government hospital in Phaltan, Satara district, was found dead in a hotel room on Thursday night. A note, reportedly written on her palm, accused PSI Badane of repeatedly raping her over a period of five months and Bankar of mental harassment. Following the discovery of the suicide note and public outcry, the Satara district police formed teams to investigate the matter. Bankar was arrested on Friday from a friend's farmhouse in Satara. PSI Badane surrendered at the Phaltan Rural Police Station.
According to police, a case has been registered against PSI Badane and Prashant Bankar under charges of rape and abetment to suicide. Bankar is the son of the landlord of the house where the doctor stayed. Allegedly, Bankar mentally harassed the doctor in collusion with the police officer.
Reports indicate the doctor was from the Beed district in the Marathwada region. Her relatives have alleged that she was under political and police pressure to prepare false post-mortem reports. They claim she had filed a complaint about the pressure but no action was taken. Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC and leader of the Opposition, Ambads Danave, shared a complaint letter of the doctor on social media, stating that she ended her life due to a corrupt system.
The doctor's suicide note mentioned that PSI Gopal Badane raped her multiple times. She also alleged that she was pressured by powerful individuals, including an MP and his aides, to issue fake medical fitness certificates for the accused. She wrote that the harassment escalated when she refused to comply.
Satara Superintendent of Police Tushar Doshi confirmed that the doctor's complaints and evidence, such as WhatsApp messages, formed the basis for filing FIRs under sections for rape and abetment of suicide. An inquiry panel is being set up by the civil surgeon to determine if hospital superiors acted on her complaints.
The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) announced a statewide black ribbon protest condemning the doctor's death. The Association of Medical Officers (AMO), Maharashtra, expressed "deep anguish" over the incident and demanded a high-level inquiry, immediate suspension and criminal proceedings against the accused, and a protective mechanism for medical officers. The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) also condemned the incident and demanded a time-bound investigation, accountability for negligence, support for the victim's family, and mental health safeguards for doctors.
