Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has ignited a national conversation by labeling the tragic death of a government doctor in Maharashtra’s Satara district as an “institutionalized murder.” He asserted that her untimely demise starkly reveals the “inhuman and insensitive” character of the current BJP-led administration.
The young doctor, originally from Maharashtra’s central Marathwada region in Beed district, was assigned to a government hospital in Satara. Her body was discovered in a hotel room in Phaltan town.
In a deeply disturbing note, the doctor accused police Sub-Inspector Gopal Badane of repeatedly sexually assaulting her and alleged that software engineer Prashant Bankar subjected her to severe mental harassment.
Taking to social media, Mr. Gandhi expressed his profound sorrow, stating that the doctor’s death, following such horrific abuse and harassment, is a tragedy that deeply shakes the moral compass of any civilized society.
He lamented that a promising medical professional, dedicated to easing the pain of others, became a victim of cruel torment by criminals operating within a corrupt system.
Mr. Gandhi further alleged that those tasked with protecting citizens from crime committed the gravest offenses against this innocent woman, including sexual assault and exploitation. He added that reports indicate influential individuals connected to the BJP attempted to pressure her into corrupt activities.
“This incident is the most contemptible illustration of a criminal ideology shielded by power. This wasn’t a suicide; it was an institutionalized murder,” the former Congress president declared.
He questioned where justice could be found when powerful entities protect criminals.
The doctor’s death, according to Mr. Gandhi, lays bare the “inhuman and insensitive” nature of the BJP government.
“We stand in unwavering solidarity with the victim’s family in their quest for justice. For every daughter of India, we demand an end to fear and the dawn of justice,” he affirmed.
Authorities have confirmed the arrest of Sub-Inspector Gopal Badane in connection with the doctor’s death. Officials stated that Mr. Badane surrendered at the Phaltan Rural Police Station in Satara.
Earlier, police had apprehended software engineer Prashant Bankar in Pune. He was also named in the doctor’s note and faces charges of mentally harassing the victim and abetment of suicide. A Satara district court has remanded Mr. Bankar to police custody.
A case of sexual assault and abetment of suicide has been formally registered against both individuals in Phaltan, Satara district.
Police investigations revealed that Mr. Bankar is the son of the doctor’s landlord. It is also reported that she had communicated with him by phone shortly before her death.
Sub-inspector Badane was suspended from duty after his involvement emerged during the ongoing investigation.
The doctor was cremated at her ancestral home in Beed’s Wadwani tehsil. Her grieving relatives are demanding the strictest possible punishment for the accused.
A relative disclosed to a news channel that the doctor had repeatedly complained about harassment, but her pleas for help went unheeded.
Another relative alleged that the victim was frequently pressured by “political people in Phaltan” to manipulate medical reports, especially given her regular assignment to autopsy duty. They reiterated that her numerous complaints against the implicated Sub-Inspector were consistently ignored.