Rahul Gandhi vows justice for family of Satara doctor who died after alleged rape, harassment

Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday spoke with the family of Dr. Sampada Munde, a 28-year-old government doctor from Satara who died by suicide last week after allegedly facing sexual assault and harassment.

Gandhi assured the family that justice would be delivered and that the matter would not be allowed to fade from public memory.

During his interaction with the bereaved family, Gandhi was joined by Maharashtra Congress President Harshvardhan Sapkal and Indian Youth Congress President Uday Bhanu, who expressed solidarity with the victim’s relatives.

“What happened to Dr. Sampada Munde raises serious questions about women’s safety in society. We stand firmly with her family and justice will be ensured at any cost,” Gandhi said.

The tragic incident, which has sent shockwaves across Maharashtra, occurred on the night of October 23, when Dr. Munde was found dead in a hotel room in Phaltan town, Satara district. The young doctor, originally from Beed and posted at a government hospital in Satara, allegedly endured prolonged mental and sexual harassment.

According to police, she left a suicide note written on her palm, accusing suspended police sub-inspector Gopal Badane of repeatedly raping her and a software engineer, Prashant Bankar, the son of her landlord, of mentally harassing her.

Police investigations revealed that Dr. Munde had attended a Lakshmi Puja at Bankar’s residence earlier that evening, where a heated argument reportedly broke out over photographs. She later checked into a nearby hotel, where she was later found dead. The post-mortem confirmed death due to asphyxia caused by hanging.

Both Badane and Bankar have been arrested, and investigators are now analysing their phone records and chat histories. Authorities are also attempting to recover Badane’s missing mobile phone, which is believed to contain critical evidence.

However, Dr. Munde’s family has accused the local police of mishandling the case, alleging procedural lapses and tampering with evidence. Her relatives claim that there was a delay in conducting the post-mortem and that the victim’s phone may have been accessed posthumously using her fingerprint, with key data deleted.

Political outrage has intensified over the incident, with demands for an independent probe and the formation of a special investigation team (SIT). Civil rights activists and women’s groups have also joined the calls for accountability, emphasising the need for stronger institutional safeguards to protect women working in public service.

The case continues to draw widespread public attention, with many describing it as a grim reminder of the deep-rooted challenges women face in workplaces across India.