Maharashtra doctor suicide: Police arrests man named in suicide note, MP among accused

Pune: Following the death of a 28-year-old woman doctor, Phaltan police on Saturday arrested one of the persons named in the suicide note she wrote on her palm, an official said. The accused is identified as Prashant Bankar. The doctor had alleged that sub-inspector Gopal Badane raped her multiple times, while Bankar, a software engineer, mentally harassed her.

Following Prashant's arrest, police said he will be produced before the court and his custody will be sought for further investigation. Meanwhile, Sub-Inspector Badane has been suspended, and a detailed inquiry is underway. The two accused have been booked at the Phaltan Police Station.

The doctor, a native of Beed district, was posted at a government hospital and was found hanging in a hotel room in Phaltan, Satara district, on Thursday night. Police also confirmed that sub-inspector Badane was suspended after his name surfaced during the probe.

Apart from the note written on the palm of her hand, the doctor had also left a four-page suicide note, adding that she was pressured to issue fake fitness certificates for accused in police cases, many of whom would not even be brought in for a medical examination. Upon refusal, she would be harassed by the SI. In her note, she also alleges that a Member of Parliament (MP) and his personal assistants had also pressured her.  "She had raised complaints on two to three occasions. Despite writing a letter to the Superintendent of Police (SP) and Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), no action was taken," her cousin told the media.

Following the incident, more than 8,000 resident doctors across the state participated in the protest demanding justice and a thorough investigation into the matter, either by the CID or a Special Investigation Team (SIT). Doctors said it was a silent protest, tying black ribbons around their arms to condemn the incident. They have not halted medical services but claim that if the demands are not met, the protest will intensify.

(With PTI and IANS inputs)