Satara doctor suicide: Doctors demand SIT probe, Rs 5 crore compensation

Also read- Satara doctor suicide case: Medical fraternity demands immediate arrest, fair probe

The Central and BMC MARD (Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors) organized the social media storm on October 26 between 5 pm and 8 pm to amplify their call for justice. The campaign urged doctors, students, and the public to share photos of black ribbon protests and highlight their key demands.

Central MARD and BMC MARD have put forward their clear demands: 

• Special Investigation Team (SIT) Probe
• Rs 5 Crore Compensation to the Family
• Strict Action on Authorities who made her unheard

Along with demanding justice for the deceased, doctors are also raising concerns about safety in hospitals. They are demanding proper implementation of POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) and Internal Complaint Committees (ICC) in all government hospitals, and a safe and respectful working environment for female doctors, so incidents like this never happen again.

Speaking to Medical Dialogues, Dr Suyash Dhavane, General Secretary, Central MARD, said, “Her sister has claimed that the handwriting of the suicide note written on her palm does not match her handwriting. This is shocking and hard to believe. Our team is constantly in touch with her family."

Regarding the link of the case with an MP, He said, "She was being pressured to give false medical fitness reports which she reported it to higher authorities and even filed complaints. She wrote a four-page letter where she mentioned that two PA working under the MP were involved. So now, we are asking, did she really commit suicide, or was she murdered?"

"Coming to the police investigation, the two people named in the suicide note surrendered on their own at the police station. Even though a large police team was deployed to arrest them, the police were unaware of their location when they surrendered themselves. This raises serious questions about the quality of the investigation and how the case is being handled," Dr Dhavane said. 

"The doctor came from a financially weak family. Her parents could not afford her medical education and she also had an education loan. She was a brilliant doctor. Therefore, we are demanding compensation and a fair probe into her death," he added. 

Medical Dialogues had reported that a woman doctor working at a Phaltan Sub-District Hospital in Maharashtra’s Satara district allegedly died by suicide, leaving a note on her palm, accusing a police officer and a software engineer of rape and mental harassment. Both accused were arrested in connection with the case. 

The doctor, hailing from Beed district in the Marathwada region of central Maharashtra and posted at a government hospital in Satara district, was found hanging in a hotel room in Phaltan town on Thursday night. In the suicide note written on her palm, she alleged that police sub-inspector Badane raped her on multiple occasions, while Bankar, a software engineer, mentally harassed her.

According to the police, Bankar is the son of the landlord of the house where the doctor resided. She had allegedly called him over the phone and chatted with him before ending her life, they said. Sub-inspector Badane was suspended from service after his name came up during the probe.

The doctor, meanwhile, was cremated at her native place in Beed's Wadwani tehsil on Friday night. Her relatives demand capital punishment for the accused in the case.

She complained multiple times about harassment, but her grievances were not addressed, a relative alleged while talking to a news channel, as reported by PTI. 

Another relative claimed the victim was pressured to change medical reports at the sub-district hospital where she worked. "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 (named in the note), but her complaints were not looked into," the relative stated.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve accused former BJP MP Ranjitsingh Naik Nimbalkar of pressurising the woman doctor on one occasion in the past. Nimbalkar denied the allegation.

Talking to reporters, Danve claimed that two personal assistants of Nimbalkar once facilitated a call between him and the woman doctor to pressurise her to declare the accused (brought to the government hospital for medical examination after arrest) as unfit and vice versa.

Nimbalkar, in his reaction, said the allegation had no truth, and his name was being dragged into the case deliberately. 

BJP MLA Suresh Dhas demanded that the MP who allegedly tried to pressurise the woman doctor be made an accused in the case. He did not name any leader, though.

The woman's two cousins, also doctors, alleged that the hospital administration assigned her post-mortem duties only to harass her. According to the woman's family, she wanted to do an MD (Doctor of Medicine) course, and was preparing for it. The loan of Rs 3 lakh taken for her MBBS course was yet to be repaid, her uncle told PTI.

Also read- Satara Shocker: 28 year old doctor commits suicide, leaves note on palm alleging rape by cop