The suicide of a 28-year-old doctor in Maharashtra has sparked a political firestorm, with the opposition alleging the involvement of a former Member of Parliament (MP) and accusing the BJP-led state government of failing to protect her. The doctor, who was found dead in a hotel room in Phaltan, Satara district, on Thursday night, reportedly left a suicide note implicating a police sub-inspector, Gopal Badane, of repeated sexual assault and a software engineer, Prashant Bankar, of mental harassment. Both have been arrested.
The case took a political turn when reports surfaced that the doctor had previously accused an MP of pressuring her to issue a fitness certificate to an arrested person. According to sources, the MP allegedly scolded her for "not issuing certificates as desired by the police" and targeted her because she belonged to the Beed district. The doctor had also submitted a statement alleging that she was being targeted due to her "Beed connection" and that police officials were pressuring her to alter post-mortem and medical reports.
The opposition has seized on these allegations, demanding an independent investigation into the matter. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Dhananjay Munde called for a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe and a fast-track trial, stating that the doctor's complaints were ignored because of her surname or her connection to Beed district. Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant described the suicide as a grave incident, highlighting the breakdown of law and order in the state.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has also weighed in on the issue, calling the doctor's death an "institutionalized murder" and accusing the BJP government of shielding criminals. In a post on X, Gandhi said that the doctor was a victim of a corrupt system and power structure, and that "influential people associated with the BJP" had tried to pressure her into corruption. He further added that the incident reveals the "inhumane and callous face of this BJP government".
However, the mentioned MP has denied the allegations, calling them baseless. The Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, has described the incident as "deeply tragic" and promised strict action against all those responsible.
The police have registered a case of rape and abetment of suicide against the accused, Gopal Badane and Prashant Bankar. Badane has been suspended from service. Investigations are underway to determine the extent of the suspects' roles in the doctor's death and to verify claims of political and police pressure.
The doctor's death has sparked outrage and protests, with relatives demanding capital punishment for the accused. The incident has also raised concerns about the safety and well-being of doctors, particularly those working in rural areas, and the pressures they face from police and politicians.
