A 28-year-old medical officer working at a government hospital in Phaltan, Satara district, Maharashtra, allegedly died by suicide after accusing a police sub-inspector of repeatedly raping her. The shocking incident has sparked political outrage across the state.
The woman, whose family hails from Beed, was found dead in her hotel room, where she stayed due to late-night duty hours. According to police, she checked in on Wednesday and did not leave the room until Thursday evening. When hotel staff grew suspicious, the manager opened the door with a spare key and found her hanging from the ceiling fan, Times of India reported.
In a disturbing revelation, the doctor had written a suicide note on her left palm, accusing Sub-inspector Gopal Badne of raping her four times over five months. She also named another officer, Prashant Banker, alleging mental harassment. “Police inspector Gopal Badne is the reason I died. He raped me four times… He subjected me to mental and physical abuse for more than five months,” the note reportedly read. She urged authorities to investigate the matter and ensure action against the guilty.
Her uncle revealed that she had earlier filed a written complaint with her hospital superiors, alleging harassment by Phaltan police officers, including Badne. Satara Civil Surgeon Dr. Yuvraj Karape confirmed that an inquiry panel would investigate whether her earlier complaints were properly addressed.
According to Dr. Karape, police officers had complained about her reluctance to conduct post-mortems at late hours. “We explained that ours is a round-the-clock service, particularly for examinations,” he said.
Following the revelation, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis spoke to the Satara Superintendent of Police and directed the immediate suspension of the officers named in the note.
Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar expressed outrage, stating, “When the protector becomes the predator! If the police themselves exploit a female doctor, how will justice be served? Why was no action taken when she had already complained?”
BJP MLC and State Women’s Wing President Chitra Wagh also termed the incident “unfortunate” and confirmed that a First Information Report (FIR) was being registered. “One of the accused is outside Satara, and a team has been formed to arrest him,” she said.
The woman’s body has been sent for post-mortem and forensic analysis, while the suicide note is being verified for authenticity. Police teams have been dispatched to trace and arrest the accused officers.
