Satara suicide case: Rahul Gandhi says it's 'institutional murder', blames state's corrupt power structure

Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday termed the death of a 29-year-old woman doctor in Maharashtra’s Satara district as an “institutional murder”, alleging that the incident exposes the rot within the state’s power structure.

The young doctor, serving as a contractual medical officer at a government hospital, was found hanging in a Satara hotel room on Thursday night. On her palm, she had written a note in Marathi, accusing Phaltan City police sub-inspector Gopal Badane of raping her multiple times and claiming prolonged physical and mental harassment by her landlord’s son, Prashant Bankar. Both men have since been arrested.

Investigators have found that the doctor had previously complained of being pressured by certain police officials and political figures to issue fitness certificates for accused persons brought to the hospital. Despite her warnings, no action was taken. In their defence, local police had accused her of being uncooperative in the certification process. The case is currently under a detailed probe.

Reacting strongly to the developments, Rahul Gandhi wrote on X: “A promising doctor daughter, who aspired to alleviate the pain of others, became a victim of the persecution by criminals entrenched in a corrupt system and power structure.”

He further stated, “The very authority tasked with protecting the public from criminals committed the most heinous crime against this innocent woman—rape and exploitation.”

Citing unspecified media “reports”, the Congress MP alleged that “some influential individuals associated with the BJP also attempted to pressure her into corruption,” though he did not provide details.

“This is the most despicable example of a criminally protected ideology. This is not a suicide—it is an institutional murder,” Gandhi wrote in a sharply worded post. “When power becomes a shield for criminals, from whom can justice be expected? Dr. Sampada’s death exposes the inhumane and insensitive face of this BJP government. We stand firmly with the victim’s family in this fight for justice. For every daughter of India—no more fear, we demand justice,” he added.