Maha doctor’s death: Accused held after note on palm names rapist, harasser

In a tragic incident that has rocked Maharashtra's Satara district, authorities on Saturday arrested a software engineer in connection with the alleged suicide of a 28-year-old woman doctor.

Prashant Bankar, named in a poignant suicide note written on the doctor’s palm, was taken into custody by a Phaltan police team in Pune, officials said.

She had written a suicide note on her palm, naming two men she accused of contributing to her despair.

The young doctor, serving at the Phaltan sub-district hospital, was discovered lifeless in a hotel room on Thursday evening — a quiet space turned tragic witness to her final moments.

According to police, one of the men, sub-inspector Gopal Badane, was alleged to have raped her on multiple occasions, while Bankar was accused of mental harassment. A case of rape and abetment to suicide has been registered against both men.

Phaltan police swiftly traced Bankar, who is the son of the landlord of the house where the doctor resided, and arrested him in Pune, bringing him to Phaltan for further investigation. Authorities revealed that the doctor had communicated with Bankar over the phone in the hours leading up to her death, underscoring the torment she endured.

Meanwhile, sub-inspector Badane has been suspended from service pending the ongoing probe, as the police intensify their investigation into this harrowing case.

The incident has sparked widespread outrage and calls for stringent action against those exploiting power and trust, shining a spotlight on the urgent need to safeguard the dignity and security of women, especially in positions of service and responsibility.

With PTI inputs