A 28-year-old woman doctor from a government facility in Maharashtra’s Satara district was found dead late Thursday night in a hotel room in Phaltan, in what police say appears to be a suicide, according to multiple reports. A message inscribed on her palm alleged rape and sustained mental harassment by two police personnel over the past five months, prompting swift administrative action.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis who also oversees the Home portfolio spoke with Satara police and directed the immediate suspension of the officers named in the note, as authorities registered a case and sent the body for post-mortem examination. Police said they are probing the allegations mentioned in the palm note as part of a parallel criminal investigation into the circumstances of the death.
Allegations detailed in the note include claims that sub-inspector Gopal Badane raped the doctor multiple times and that officer Prashant Bankar subjected her to mental harassment, media reports said. The Maharashtra Women’s Commission chairperson Rupali Chakankar stated that the commission has taken cognisance and asked Satara Police to take strict action, with teams deployed to track the accused.
Family members told reporters there had been sustained workplace pressure, and relatives alleged there was broader coercion to alter post-mortem reports in other matters, issues they said she had tried to raise before authorities. Police have indicated they are examining these claims alongside the primary case to establish timelines, corroborate evidence, and determine accountability.
Satara Superintendent of Police Tushar Doshi said a case has been lodged under charges including rape and abetment to suicide against the two named officers, with one of them already suspended and search efforts underway. Officials said a thorough inquiry is in progress, and any individuals found culpable will face stringent action in line with the law.
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