Congress leader Rahul Gandhi recently condemned the tragic death of a young woman doctor in Maharashtra’s Satara district, calling it an “institutionalized murder.” He asserted that her death tragically exposes the “inhuman and insensitive” nature of the current BJP-led government.
The doctor, originally from the Beed district in central Maharashtra’s Marathwada region and serving at a government hospital in Satara, was discovered deceased in a hotel room in Phaltan town.
In a note she left behind, she explicitly accused police Sub-Inspector Gopal Badane of repeatedly raping her and software engineer Prashant Bankar of subjecting her to severe mental harassment.
Sharing his anguish on X (formerly Twitter), Mr. Gandhi stated that the doctor’s death, following a harrowing ordeal of rape and harassment, is a profound tragedy that should deeply disturb the conscience of any civilized society.
He lamented that a bright and promising doctor, dedicated to easing the suffering of others, ultimately became a victim of the very corrupt system she worked within, tormented by those who wielded power.
“Those entrusted with the sacred duty of protecting citizens from criminals instead committed the most heinous crimes of rape and exploitation against this innocent woman,” Mr. Gandhi declared. He further alleged, “Reports indicate that influential individuals with ties to the BJP even attempted to pressure her into corrupt activities.”
He emphatically stated, “This incident stands as the most despicable illustration of a criminal ideology shielded by power. This is not suicide; it is unequivocally an institutionalized murder.”
Mr. Gandhi questioned how justice can prevail when those in power actively safeguard criminals.
He reiterated that the doctor’s demise starkly reveals the “inhuman and insensitive” character of the current BJP government.
“We stand in unwavering solidarity with the victim’s family in their relentless pursuit of justice. For every daughter of India, we demand an end to fear and the absolute assurance of justice,” Mr. Gandhi affirmed.
In response to the case, police officials confirmed the arrest of Sub-Inspector Gopal Badane in connection with the doctor’s death.
Mr. Badane surrendered at the Phaltan Rural Police Station in Satara, where he was subsequently taken into custody.
Prior to Badane’s arrest, a Phaltan police team had apprehended software engineer Prashant Bankar in Pune. Bankar was also named by the doctor in her note.
Bankar, who faces charges of mental harassment and abetment to suicide, appeared before a Satara district court and was remanded into police custody for four days.
A formal case of rape and abetment of suicide has been registered against both individuals in Phaltan, Satara district.
Investigators revealed that Mr. Bankar is the son of the doctor’s landlord.
Reports suggest she had communicated with him via phone just before her death.
Sub-Inspector Badane was previously suspended from his duties once his involvement emerged during the ongoing investigation.
The doctor was cremated at her ancestral home in Beed’s Wadwani tehsil. Her grieving relatives are vehemently demanding capital punishment for all those implicated in the case.
A relative disclosed to a news channel that despite multiple complaints about harassment, her pleas for help were tragically ignored.
Another family member claimed she faced pressure to manipulate medical reports at the sub-district hospital where she performed autopsies. “Political figures in Phaltan frequently asked her to alter medical documents. She had repeatedly filed complaints against the named Sub-Inspector, but unfortunately, these complaints were never acted upon,” the relative alleged.