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

Speaking to ANI, Tushar Doshi, SP Satara Police, said, "Police arrested Prashant Bankar, one of the two accused in the suicide case of a woman doctor in Phaltan taluka. He will be produced in court today. The other accused, Police Sub-Inspector Gopal Badne, is still absconding, and a search is underway to nab him."

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the Home portfolio, spoke to the Satara superintendent of police, ordering the immediate suspension of the police officers named in the suicide note.

The 28-year-old doctor, who hailed from Beed district and worked at a government hospital in Phaltan tehsil, was found hanging in a hotel room at Phaltan late on Thursday night.

In a suicide note written on her palm, the doctor alleged that she had been raped and mentally harassed by two personnel of the Satara police over the last five months. She wrote that sub-inspector Gopal Badane allegedly raped and sexually harassed her on multiple occasions, and software engineer Prashant Bankar, her landlord’s son, mentally harassed her.

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According to a Pune Mirror report, the doctor got caught in an ongoing disagreement between the police department and the health department over medical examination procedures. Because of this issue, an internal inquiry was started against her.

During the inquiry, the doctor claimed she was being harassed. She complained to her senior health officials, expressing distress and alleging injustice, and even warned that she might end her life if the harassment didn’t stop. However, her colleagues now stated that no action was taken by senior officials despite her repeated complaints and pleas for help.

“We have registered a case, and the body has been sent for post-mortem. We are also investigating the allegations mentioned in the suicide note on the victim’s hand,” an official from the Satara police said.

Maharashtra Women’s Commission chief Rupali Chakankar said, “We have taken cognisance of the matter and ordered Satara Police to take strict action against the accused.”

Maharashtra Legislative Council Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe said the doctor’s suicide was a matter of concern. “This is a serious issue. I have written to CM Fadnavis, seeking stringent action against those involved,” Gorhe said. “Environment minister Shambhuraj Desai, who hails from Satara district, has assured that there will be an impartial probe into the case,” Gorhe added.

Minister of State for Health Meghna Bordikar said she spoke to the Satara civil surgeon and was informed that the doctor had never complained about facing any sort of harassment.

Describing the doctor’s suicide as a grave incident, Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said the incident highlights the breakdown of the law and order situation in the state. “The Fadnavis-led government has failed to protect women,” Sawant said.

Maharashtra minister Pankaja Munde said there should be no “media trial” in the doctor’s incident. “I am confident that CM Fadnavis, who also holds the Home portfolio, will ensure a thorough probe, including a detailed forensic investigation, in the case,” Munde said.

“She was bright and ambitious. We raised her since childhood and supported her education. She was under pressure at work, and that is why she took this extreme step. The culprits must be punished,” the deceased doctor's aunt told PTI. 

Another aunt said, “Just two days ago, she mentioned being harassed by seniors at work.” The doctor’s suicide has cast a pall of gloom over her Kotharban-Kavadgaon villages, where locals looked up to her as a symbol of determination and hope for rural girls.

They are now mourning her untimely demise.

Meanwhile, a relative of the doctor claimed that there was pressure on medical officials to change the post-mortem report.

Her cousin brother told ANI, "There was a lot of police and political pressure on her to make wrong mortem reports. She tried to complain about it. My sister should get justice."

Adding to the mystery, a cousin of the deceased has claimed that a local MP from the Phaltan region had called the doctor shortly before her death, further deepening suspicions about political interference. “She had filed a complaint two or three months ago, but no action was taken," the cousin told News 18. 

Reaction from medical fraternity

The tragic death of the doctor has sparked outrage across the medical community in Maharashtra and other parts of India. Many doctor associations have strongly condemned the alleged heinous act and issued strong statements demanding justice, strict action against the accused, and better protection for doctors.

In a letter to the Superintendent of police, Maharashtra, Central MARD (Maharashtra State Association of Resident Doctors) has called for the immediate suspension of the accused police officers and a fair investigation into her death. 

"As per verified reports and accounts from her colleagues, Dr *** had been undergoing a local departmental inquiry during which she had repeatedly complained to her seniors regarding mental harassment and humiliation by certain individuals involved in the process. She had clearly expressed that she was under extreme psychological distress and had even stated that she might be forced to take drastic steps if the harassment continued. Tragically, her concerns were ignored, and as per media reports and her suicide note, she has named Police Sub Inspector Gopal Badane and Prashant Bankar for physical assault and mental harassment. This incident is a serious breach of professional ethics, law, and human rights, and represents a systemic failure of protection mechanisms for government doctors serving in public hospitals," the letter reads. 

On behalf of the entire doctor fraternity of Maharashtra, Central MARD demanded the following measures: 

1. Immediate suspension of the above-named police personnel pending the outcome of the investigation.

2. A neutral, time-bound, and fair inquiry into the matter to ensure justice for the deceased.

3. Accountability of health department authorities who failed to respond despite prior complaints of harassment.

4. Establishment of a formal grievance redressal and mental health support mechanism for all government doctors and healthcare workers under administrative or disciplinary investigation

FAIMA also expressed deep grief and concern over the doctor's death. The association voiced similar demands and stated in their press release, "This heartbreaking incident reflects the immense psychological burden many doctors silently endure while performing their duties in stressful government setups. It also highlights the urgent need to establish systemic safeguards to prevent such tragedies in the future."

It further adds, "This incident is not an isolated tragedy—it is a grim reminder of the systemic apathy and lack of institutional empathy that many government doctors continue to face. FAIMA India stands in solidarity with her family, colleagues, and the entire medical community and calls upon the Government of Maharashtra, the Police Department, and the Health Administration to take swift and exemplary action."

Writing a letter to the Maharashtra Chief Minister, the Association of Medical Officers (AMO) also demanded a high-level inquiry into the death of the doctor. "Doctors across Maharashtra serve selflessly under challenging conditions for the welfare of the people. Incidents like this severely affect the morale of the medical community," the association said in the letter. 

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