A young female doctor in her late twenties was working on contract as a medical officer at the Phaltan Sub-District Hospital in Maharashtra’s Satara district. She was close to completing her mandatory rural service bond, with about 23 months behind her, and she had plans to pursue a postgraduate medical degree.

But instead of focusing on her future, she spent her final five months fighting continuous abuse. She endured severe sexual and professional harassment. In a suicide note found after her death, she alleged that PSI Gopal Badane (a sub-inspector at Phaltan City police station) had raped her four times and subjected her to mental and physical torture. She also named Prashant Bankar – her landlord’s son, a software engineer from Pune – who was accused of physically and mentally harassing her during this period.

One investigator later revealed that the victim and PSI Badane were actually relatives from their home district of Beed, which added to the betrayal she felt.

In addition to the sexual abuse, the doctor wrote that she had been pressured to falsify medical reports in police cases. Multiple police officers – and even a local Member of Parliament (MP) in one instance – pushed her to issue “fit” medical certificates or alter post-mortem findings for accused persons without actual examinations. She refused to participate in this wrongdoing, and that resistance led to more harassment.

In one incident detailed in her letter, after she declined to declare an accused “fit” without examination, two personal assistants of an MP came to her hospital. They phoned the MP and made her speak to him, and the MP indirectly threatened her for not complying.

Her cousin later confirmed the pressure she had been under. He said, “They were also pressuring my sister to prepare fit/unfit reports of patients without even bringing patients to the hospital,” and that she had also been asked to manipulate post-mortem reports.

Despite the threats and abuse, the doctor tried to protect herself. She lodged written complaints about the police harassment on at least two or three occasions. In June 2025, she submitted a formal complaint—reportedly naming three police officials, including Badane—to senior officers including the Superintendent of Police and Deputy SP (SDPO). She even wrote that if anything happened to her, those responsible should be held accountable.

No action was taken on her complaints. Her family said authorities largely ignored her reports. The local police only partially acknowledged this, saying a complaint was received in June but claim it was “about a different matter.”

The abuse by PSI Badane and Prashant Bankar continued without interruption through the summer and early autumn of 2025. Just two days before her death, the young doctor confided to a relative that she was “being harassed by seniors at work,” showing how desperate and alone she had become.

The Final Hours: A Phone Call, a Hotel Room, and a Suicide Note on Her Palm

On Wednesday, October 22, 2025, the young doctor checked into a hotel in Phaltan. She occasionally did this after late shifts at the hospital since her rented accommodation was far away.

That night or the following day, she contacted Prashant Bankar by phone. Investigators later confirmed that she called Prashant and exchanged text messages with him shortly before her death. What they spoke about remains unknown to the public, but it’s believed she may have confronted him or tried to reach some form of resolution in her final hours.

By Thursday evening, October 23, the young doctor had taken the heartbreaking step of ending her life. When she didn’t respond to repeated knocks on her hotel room door, the staff grew concerned. Using a spare key, they opened the room and found her hanging inside.

At the scene, police found critical evidence. On her left palm, she had written a suicide note in Marathi, naming her tormentors. In that scrawled note, she alleged that PSI Gopal Badane had raped her four times and that Prashant Bankar had harassed her for months, echoing what she had written in her earlier complaints.

She clearly wanted their names to be seen, even in death.

Investigators also found a handwritten four-page suicide letter left behind in the room or among her belongings. This detailed letter expanded on the abuses she suffered. It described the pressure she had faced from police officers and a Member of Parliament to forge medical reports, and the repeated harassment she endured when she refused.

After discovering the letter and the note on her palm, authorities sealed off the hotel room and sent her body for post-mortem examination.

The powerful notes she left behind—both on her body and on paper—finally gave voice to the pain and injustice she had been living through. These writings became the foundation of the investigation that followed and revealed just how deeply the system had failed her.

Her Suicide Letters Reveal Details of Repeated Rape, Abuse of Power, and Political Threats

As news of the young doctor’s suicide spread on October 24, more disturbing information from her suicide notes came to light. In her four-page handwritten letter, she wrote that Sub-Inspector Gopal Badane had sexually assaulted her repeatedly and had led a campaign of intimidation that lasted for over five months.

She explained that she was “harassed and intimidated” simply because she refused to issue bogus medical fitness certificates for people in police custody. She said in her letter that even an MP’s aides came to her hospital and pressured her, revealing that political figures were also involved in the harassment she suffered as a government-appointed doctor.

One of the strongest confirmations of these claims came from the suicide note she had written on her palm, which police verified was in Marathi. It clearly named Gopal Badane and Prashant Bankar. The exact words she had written, which officers later saw themselves, were: “Raped by Badane 4 times. Harassed by Prashant for 5 months.” This short but powerful message matched what she had described in the longer letter.

Her mention of a sitting Member of Parliament and two of his personal assistants in the suicide letter caused shock across political circles. She wrote that they pressured her to issue a fake health certificate for an arrested person. When she refused, the MP allegedly threatened her over the phone through his assistants. Police have not yet confirmed the name of the MP, and said the claim has not been officially verified, though the media reported it based on her note. The police department has withheld the MP’s identity so far, and while the press shared the contents, one publication clarified that it could not independently verify this part of her letter. Still, the claim made it clear how much political pressure the young doctor had been under.

The letter also showed the frustration and hopelessness she had felt after trying to seek help. She wrote that she had informed her seniors in writing about the abuse from Badane and others, but that “no one took any action.” In her letter, she also asked the question, “if anything happened to her,” who would be held responsible — a line that now reads as both chilling and prophetic. She even mentioned that there was no security at her workplace, and that when she once called a Deputy SP for help, “he said he would call back, but no one did.”

Her two suicide notes — one carved onto her palm and the other handwritten — told the story of a woman who had tried to do the right thing but was cornered and broken by those in positions of power. Together, they formed a clear and tragic record of exploitation, threats, and a system that failed her when she needed protection the most.

Police Register FIR, Suspend PSI Badane, and Make First Arrest as Investigation Begins

Following the discovery of the notes, the Satara police took immediate action. On the night of October 23, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against PSI Gopal Badane and Prashant Bankar. The charges included rape and abetment of suicide.

Given the serious accusations against one of their own officers, the police department suspended Sub-Inspector Gopal Badane while the investigation moved forward. But by then, Badane had already vanished. He had gone absconding immediately after the incident. Police believe he fled as soon as he became aware of the suicide note. To locate him, authorities formed two special teams and began searching for his whereabouts, but he remained on the run that weekend. “We have suspended him and formed a special team to trace and arrest him,” said Kolhapur Range IGP Sunil Phulari, who added that the case would proceed “on the basis of evidence gathered so far.”

In contrast, the second accused, Prashant Bankar, was found quickly. On Saturday, October 25, a police team from Phaltan tracked him to Pune — where he works as a technology professional — and arrested him. Bankar, who is thirty years old and the son of the landlord whose apartment the doctor had been renting, was brought back to Phaltan and placed under arrest. “One of the accused, Bankar, has been arrested and brought to Phaltan. The investigation is underway,” a police official told the media.

Investigators also shared important background details — confirming that the victim had been living in a flat owned by Bankar’s family, which is how he had close access to her. They also confirmed that the young doctor and Bankar had spoken on the phone and exchanged text messages just before her death. These messages and call records are now part of the evidence. Investigators believe that this communication may help determine if she was asking for help, confronting him, or being provoked by him in her final moments.

As part of the case, the investigation team gathered and preserved all relevant evidence. This included the four-page suicide letter, photographs of the suicide note on her palm, her mobile phone, chat history, and statements from colleagues and family members. The young doctor’s body was also sent for post-mortem examination at Satara Civil Hospital, where forensic experts were given the task of confirming that the cause of death matched her statements and showed no additional signs of foul play.

By Saturday, October 25, after completing all medical and legal formalities, the doctor’s family was able to perform her last rites. Her grieving relatives, who had played a role in raising her and supporting her education, shared their pain with the media. They said, “she was bright and hardworking… under unbearable pressure at work, which is why she took this step. The culprits must be punished.”

While the criminal case began, administrative action also started. Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also serves as the state’s Home Minister, took serious notice of the incident. He directed the Satara Superintendent of Police to take strict action and launch a departmental inquiry against any police personnel found guilty or negligent in handling her prior complaints.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) stepped in too. Its chairperson, Vijaya Rahatkar, demanded a formal action-taken report from the police within five days, asking for clarity on who failed to act when the young doctor tried to report the abuse earlier.

In parallel, the state health department also launched its own probe. A three-member committee, led by the Deputy Director of Health Services in Pune, was appointed to conduct an internal inquiry into the incident. The committee would look into the doctor’s claims that she had been pressured to write false medical reports, and investigate whether hospital officials or senior doctors were aware of what she had reported — and whether they acted to support her in any way.

Massive Public Anger, Political Blame Game, and Renewed Demands for Accountability After the Doctor’s Death

The tragic death of the young doctor under such horrifying circumstances triggered an immediate and widespread wave of outrage across Maharashtra and beyond. Social media platforms were flooded with messages of grief and anger. Hashtags like #JusticeForDoctors and #SataraDoctorSuicide began trending as users expressed shock and demanded justice.

From across the state and the country, members of the medical community and resident doctor associations responded with fury and concern. They demanded a fair and impartial investigation into the doctor’s allegations. They also called for better protection of medical professionals who refuse unethical orders, especially those serving under pressure in government hospitals and rural postings. Many doctors and healthcare groups publicly pointed out that the young woman had lost her life because she chose to stand by her ethics rather than giving in to corruption or illegal demands.

The outrage quickly spilled over into politics, becoming a major flashpoint between the ruling coalition and opposition parties. Leaders from all major parties raised serious concerns and called for an independent investigation. Some even demanded the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to ensure that the case would be handled without bias.

The opposition, including leaders from the Congress and NCP, came down heavily on the Shiv Sena-BJP government, blaming it for failing to protect a woman who had clearly asked for help multiple times. “When the protector becomes the predator, how will justice be served?” asked Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar, referring to the fact that a serving police officer — someone meant to safeguard public safety — was the main accused in her rape and abuse case.

NCP leader Dhananjay Munde urged the state government to take urgent steps, calling for both a fast-track court and an SIT to handle the case. He described the situation as a “grave injustice”, especially since the doctor had made previous complaints that were ignored.

Similar sentiments were echoed by Ambadas Danve of the Shiv Sena (UBT), who emphasized that officials from outside Satara district should take over the inquiry. He warned that local police could not be trusted in this matter and called it a clear example of “protectors turned predators.”

While the opposition pressed for answers, the ruling coalition defended its response. BJP leader Chitra Wagh described the case as “unfortunate” and assured the public that “a thorough investigation will be carried out.” She also acknowledged that the doctor had indeed raised a complaint earlier and that “everything will be investigated” — especially the question of why no action was taken at the time.

Wagh also made a public appeal, saying, “I want to tell all women, there is no need to take such an extreme step… Our government is ready to help. Please use the 112 helpline to report such complaints and action will be taken.”

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the Home portfolio, assured citizens that strict action would follow, and that any police officer found responsible — either for the assaults or for neglecting her complaints — would face consequences.

Inside the police department, there was a visible sense of regret and introspection. Additional SP Vaishali Kaduskar of Satara, speaking not only as a police officer but as a woman, expressed deep sorrow over the loss. She said the young doctor’s life “could have been saved had timely action been taken on her complaint… or had she confided in someone about what was happening.” Kaduskar added that she felt “anguished and pained” by the incident.

This response from a senior policewoman pointed to a broader truth — that somewhere, crucial chances to intervene had been missed.

By the end of October 2025, the investigation was in full swing. Prashant Bankar had been remanded in custody and was being interrogated for his involvement — both in the harassment and in the possible instigation of the suicide. PSI Gopal Badane remained a fugitive, and police teams were still trying to trace him.

The content of the young doctor’s four-page letter was now a central piece of evidence, and forensic experts were examining her phone and documents for additional proof. Meanwhile, public pressure remained high. Ordinary citizens, activists, and healthcare workers continued to follow the developments closely, calling for justice to be delivered without delay.

The state government also indicated that it may consider forming an SIT if needed, depending on the outcome of current investigations. In addition, the internal health department inquiry — launched after her death — was still pending.

This heartbreaking story — of a dedicated doctor who faced rape, sexual harassment, and political intimidation, who tried everything to seek justice, and who ultimately died when her cries were ignored — has exposed serious cracks in the system. It has raised new urgency around the need to protect whistleblowers, take complaints seriously, and act quickly before it’s too late.

In her final letter, the doctor had written a question that now echoes across the country:
“When someone in her position cries out for help, who will be accountable to save her?”

The hope now is that her voice will not be lost — that her death will bring accountability, justice, and the reform that she never lived to see.