Relatives of the 28-year-old government doctor from Maharashtra’s Satara district, who died by suicide, have demanded the death penalty for those she named in her note -- a police sub-inspector and a software engineer. The young physician, posted at a sub-district hospital in Phaltan, was found hanging in a hotel room on Thursday night. On her palm, she had written a note accusing a police officer of rape and a techie of mental harassment.
Her father, overwhelmed with grief, made a direct plea to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis: “My only demand is that the culprits should be punished with death by hanging. That’s all. There is nothing else. This is my demand.” He added, “This happened to my daughter. But at least from now on, such atrocities should not happen to other daughters. So, the people who do this should definitely be punished with the death penalty.”
Drawing a painful comparison to the Mahabharata, he said, “While the injustice was happening, everyone just stood and watched. There were Duryodhana and Dushasana there, but not a single Krishna came forward to help my daughter. So, for the sake of the daughters in the future, at least one Krishna should come forward and protect her honour.”
The doctor’s brother echoed his father’s anguish, demanding the harshest punishment for those responsible. “Just apprehending the accused is not enough. They should be hanged to ensure justice to the doctor and her family,” another relative insisted.
Chief Minister Fadnavis has assured that strict action will be taken. “The doctor dying by suicide and writing such a letter on her hand shows the pain she went through. Yesterday, we suspended the officer involved. We have initiated an investigation, and no one will be spared. The Opposition is politicising it. Even if someone is involved directly or indirectly, they won’t be spared,” he stated.
The young doctor, originally from Beed district in Marathwada, had allegedly complained several times about the harassment she faced, but her concerns were ignored. One of her relatives said, “She had raised complaints on two to three occasions. Despite writing a letter to the Superintendent of Police (SP) and Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), no action was taken.”
In a four-page letter, she described the immense pressure she faced from police officers and even a Member of Parliament and his aides, who allegedly asked her to issue fake fitness certificates for accused persons. She wrote that when she refused, she was threatened and harassed.
Meanwhile, NDTV reported that the doctor had earlier been accused by police of being “uncooperative” and “hindering investigations.” A letter dated September 22 claimed that her refusal to conduct medical check-ups of the accused could allow suspects to escape justice. However, in her suicide note, the doctor asserted she had been pressured to issue false certificates -- sometimes for people who weren’t even present -- and was mistreated when she refused.
Prashant Bankar, the software engineer accused of mentally harassing her for five months, was arrested from Pune, about 125 km from Satara, and remanded in police custody for four days. The police sub-inspector, Gopal Badane, named in her note for alleged sexual assault, has been suspended but not yet arrested.
A relative, who is also a doctor, said, “Police told us about the incident and we went to the hospital. Being a doctor, I told them I will remain present for the autopsy. That time I saw the suicide note on her palm and conveyed this to police. I suggested that forensic experts should do the autopsy.”
Another family member alleged that the victim was constantly pressured to alter medical reports. “Political people in Phaltan often asked her to change medical reports as she used to be regularly on autopsy duty. She had complained multiple times against the PSI, but her complaints were not looked into,” they said.
“A medical officer tortured the lady doctor. He used to assign her autopsy duty repeatedly,” the relative added. “If justice is not done, how will other professional women do their duty without fear or pressure? What example are we setting? How will women pursue education under such circumstances?”
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve criticized Fadnavis, who also holds the home portfolio. “There is a need for women’s security more than that of ‘Ladki Bahin’ (a financial scheme for women from low-income families). If people who flourished under the wings of Fadnavis are harassing women in such a manner, then Fadnavis has failed as the Home Minister and should resign,” Danve wrote on X.
He also posted an RTI application and the doctor’s handwritten complaint on the platform, asking, “What action did the dean or superintendent take on the lady doctor’s complaint?” and questioned the role of two personal assistants allegedly linking her to an MP.
In another post, Danve appealed to National Commission for Women chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar to intervene in the matter.
With inputs from PTI
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