Maharashtra Woman Doctor’s Suicide: Two Police Officers Suspended

A 28-year-old woman doctor working at the Phaltan Sub-District Hospital in Satara district, Maharashtra, died by suicide after allegedly facing repeated sexual harassment and assault from two police officers.
The deceased, a native of Beed district, had reportedly been harassed for several months by Police Sub-Inspector Gopal Badne, who allegedly raped her multiple times.
Another officer, Prashant Bankar, has been accused of mentally harassing her. According to police sources, the doctor was found dead in a hotel room in Phaltan late Wednesday night. A message written on her palm reportedly named Gopal Badne as responsible for her death and mentioned that he had sexually assaulted her four times.
The Phaltan City Police have registered a case of abetment to suicide and sent the body for post-mortem examination.
Officials said that the suicide note and related evidence are being examined as part of the
investigation.
It has also emerged that the victim had submitted a written complaint to the local Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in June, detailing the harassment she faced.  However, no action was taken at the time, raising serious questions about departmental negligence.
Reacting to the incident, Maharashtra Women’s Commission Chairperson Rupali Sagankar stated that strict action has been ordered, and special teams have been formed to arrest the accused officers.
Following public outrage, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has suspended both police officers named in the suicide note and directed senior officials to ensure a fair and time-bound investigation into the case.