Maharashtra Doctor Suicide Case: One Arrested, Main Accused Cop Still on the Run
One arrested in Maharashtra doctor’s rape-suicide case; main accused cop still missing.
In a shocking turn of events in Maharashtra’s Satara district, police have arrested one of the accused linked to the alleged rape and suicide case of a 26-year-old woman doctor from Phaltan. The accused, identified as Prashant Bankar, was apprehended from a friend’s farmhouse on Saturday morning, while the primary accused, suspended police sub-inspector (PSI) Gopal Badane, is still on the run. The case has sparked widespread outrage and prompted strong political reactions across the state.
The young doctor was found dead earlier this week, having left a brief seven-line suicide note written on her palm. In the note, she accused PSI Badane of repeatedly raping and exploiting her and alleged that her landlord’s son, Bankar, had mentally harassed her for months. She also reportedly spoke to Bankar moments before taking her life. The note further claimed that Badane had sexually assaulted her four times and pressured her to issue fake medical fitness certificates for influential figures, including individuals connected to a sitting MP.
Following public outrage, Satara police swiftly formed two dedicated teams to trace the suspects. While Bankar was caught hiding in Satara, efforts to locate the absconding police officer continue. Authorities said that the investigation is being handled with “utmost sensitivity” given the involvement of law enforcement personnel in the allegations.
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The case has taken on political overtones after Shiv Sena (UBT) legislator and Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, Ambadas Danve, shared the deceased doctor’s complaint letter on X (formerly Twitter). Danve alleged that the doctor had repeatedly approached senior police officers, including the Superintendent and Deputy Superintendent of Police, but her pleas were ignored, forcing her into despair. He claimed the incident reflects the “failure of the system” and the state’s inability to protect women from harassment, even by those in authority.
Danve further alleged that a local MP and MLA were among those who had “harassed and pressured” the doctor, calling for an in-depth investigation into her phone call records and communications. “The ruling government boasts about women’s welfare schemes, but no woman feels safe in Maharashtra today,” he remarked, demanding accountability from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his administration.
