Days after the suicide of a 28-year-old female doctor in Maharashtra’s Satara district, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday described the death as an “institutionalised murder”, alleging that the tragedy exposed the “inhuman and insensitive nature” of the BJP-led state government.
The doctor, who hailed from Beed district in the Marathwada region and was posted at a government hospital in Satara, was discovered dead in a hotel room in Phaltan town on Thursday night. In a note left behind, she accused Police Sub-Inspector Gopal Badane of repeatedly raping her and software engineer Prashant Bankar of mentally harassing her.
In a post on X written in Hindi, Gandhi expressed deep anguish over the incident, saying that the doctor’s death after enduring rape and harassment was a tragedy that “shakes the conscience of any civilised society.” “A promising doctor, who had dedicated her life to easing the suffering of others, became a victim of brutality and corruption within a rotten system,” the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said.
He further alleged that those tasked with upholding law and order were themselves guilty of the “most heinous crime.” “According to reports, some influential individuals linked to the BJP even tried to pressure her into corruption,” Rahul Gandhi added.
The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha questioned how justice could be expected “when power shields criminals.” “This is the most despicable example of a power-protected criminal ideology. This is not suicide – it is institutionalised murder,” he declared.
Gandhi also stated that the case revealed the “inhuman and insensitive” face of the ruling BJP government, affirming, “We stand firmly with the victim’s family in this fight for justice. For every daughter of India – no more fear, we need justice.”
Police officials confirmed that sub-inspector Gopal Badane was arrested after surrendering at Phaltan Rural Police Station on Saturday evening. He was suspended from duty following his name emerging during the investigation.
Earlier that morning, a team from Phaltan police had detained Prashant Bankar, the software engineer named in the victim’s note, from Pune. Bankar, who is accused of mentally harassing the doctor and abetting her suicide, was produced before a Satara district court and remanded to four days’ police custody.
Police said a case of rape and abetment of suicide has been registered against both accused. According to officials, Bankar is the son of the landlord of the house where the victim resided. The two allegedly spoke over the phone shortly before she took her life.
The doctor was cremated on Friday night at her native village in Wadwani tehsil, Beed district. Her family members have demanded capital punishment for the accused.
Relatives also alleged that the victim had made several complaints about harassment, but her grievances were ignored. “She complained multiple times against the PSI named in her note, but no action was taken,” one relative told a news channel.
Another family member claimed the young doctor faced pressure from “political figures” in Phaltan to manipulate medical and post-mortem reports. “She was often on autopsy duty and refused to alter reports as requested by influential people,” the relative said.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage across Maharashtra, with opposition leaders demanding swift and exemplary punishment for those responsible. The Congress has accused the BJP-led state government of failing to protect women and of shielding individuals misusing their official power.
