Institutionalised murder: Rahul Gandhi attacks BJP over Maha doctor’s suicide

The tragic suicide of a young government doctor in Satara, Maharashtra, has sparked outrage and fierce criticism of the BJP-led state government, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi describing the incident as “institutionalised murder”.

Speaking on Sunday, 26 October, Rahul Gandhi said the doctor’s death exposes the “inhuman and insensitive” nature of the ruling administration, highlighting systemic failures that allowed abuse and harassment to flourish unchecked.

The doctor, hailing from Beed district in Marathwada, and posted at a government hospital in Satara, was found hanging in a hotel room in Phaltan town on Thursday night. In a harrowing note written on her palm, she alleged repeated rape by police sub-inspector Gopal Badane and mental harassment by software engineer Prashant Bankar.

Rahul Gandhi, in a heartfelt post on X, condemned the incident as a tragedy that “shakes the conscience of any civilised society”. He described the young doctor as a promising healer, whose life was cut short by criminals operating within a corrupt and power-protected system.

“Those entrusted with protecting the public committed the most heinous crimes against this innocent woman,” Rahul Gandhi said. “Some influential individuals connected to the ruling party even tried to pressure her into corruption. This is not suicide — it is institutionalised murder.”

The opposition leader added that when power shields criminals, justice becomes elusive, and he pledged solidarity with the victim’s family.

“We stand firmly with the family in this fight for justice. For every daughter of India — no more fear, we demand justice,” he said.

Following her death, the Phaltan police arrested both accused. Sub-inspector Badane surrendered on Saturday evening and was promptly taken into custody, while Bankar, accused of harassment and abetment of suicide, was arrested from Pune and remanded in custody for four days by the Satara district court. A case of rape and abetment of suicide has been registered against the duo.

The doctor, whose dedication to medicine had her regularly on autopsy duty, was reportedly pressured to alter medical reports by political figures in Phaltan. Relatives claimed her repeated complaints went unaddressed, contributing to her sense of helplessness.

She was cremated on Friday night in her native village in Wadwani tehsil, Beed, as her family called for capital punishment for the accused.

The incident has reignited a national conversation about systemic harassment, abuse of power, and the safety of women in public service, highlighting the urgent need for accountability and reform in institutions entrusted with justice.

With PTI inputs