Satara: The probe into the death of a 29-year-old government doctor in Maharashtra’s Satara district has taken a complex turn, with new allegations, counterclaims, and political reactions emerging. The doctor’s family has accused police officials and local political figures of harassment, while the police have denied wrongdoing and alleged procedural lapses on the doctor’s part.
The young doctor, posted at a government hospital in Phaltan, was found dead in a hotel room late on Thursday night. A note written in Marathi on her palm accused police sub-inspector (PSI) Gopal Badane of raping her multiple times and her landlord’s son, Prashant Bankar, of physically and mentally harassing her for five months. Police have since arrested both men.
Family Alleges Lapses in Probe
The doctor’s cousin has raised questions about procedural irregularities in handling the case, claiming the postmortem was delayed until 6 a.m. “When she died, no one was available to perform the postmortem till early morning. Her body was moved to the hospital in our absence, which should not have happened without family members present,” he told ANI.
He further alleged that the deceased had been under immense pressure from police and political leaders to falsify medical reports, including fitness certificates and postmortem findings. “She was being forced to conduct excessive postmortems and issue false certificates despite other officers being available,” he said.
Police Counter Allegations
Police officials, however, presented a contrasting version. They claimed the doctor often refused to perform pre-arrest medical examinations at night and was uncooperative in issuing fitness certificates for the accused. A senior officer said she frequently declared accused persons “unfit” without adequate medical justification, leading to delays in police procedures and prompting requests for her replacement.
Possibility of Another Suicide Note
The doctor’s cousin has also suggested that a second suicide note might exist, given her history of documenting complaints. “She fought hard and wrote multiple four-page letters about the harassment she faced. We believe another note could have been left behind when her body was taken to the hospital,” he said.
Earlier Complaints Ignored
In June this year, the doctor had written to the local Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) alleging she was being pressured to issue false fitness certificates for accused persons brought to the hospital. Among those named in the letter was PSI Gopal Badane.
Following her complaint, Phaltan police officers reportedly wrote to the Satara Civil Surgeon accusing the doctor of issuing “not fit” certificates without proper grounds, which they claimed delayed arrests and custodial remand. When her complaint went unanswered, she filed an RTI appeal on August 13, seeking information on the action taken.
Political Angle and Clean Chit Controversy
The case has also drawn political attention after the name of former BJP MP Ranjitsinh Naik Nimbalkar surfaced in connection with alleged pressure on the doctor. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday gave a clean chit to the BJP leader, saying there was no evidence linking him to the case.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve, who had shared one of the doctor’s earlier letters, questioned the move, saying, “Is the chief minister himself an investigating officer? Without waiting for the police report, how can he declare someone innocent?”
BJP MLA Sachin Patil was also cleared of involvement by the government.
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