A female doctor of a government hospital allegedly died by suicide in Maharashtra's Satara district, officials said on Friday.
She was found hanging in a hotel room on Thursday night, following which the police were alerted, they added.
According to the police, the victim was a native of Beed district and worked at a government hospital in Phaltan taluka.
Suicide note
In a note written on her left palm, the victim accused Sub-Inspector Gopal Badne of physical and mental abuse and said his constant harassment forced her to take her own life.
"Police Inspector Gopal Badne is the reason I died. He raped me four times. He subjected me to rape, mental and physical abuse for more than five months," the note said.
She also mentioned the name of another police personnel, Prashant Bankar.
The victim had raised similar allegations in a letter addressed to the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) of the Sub-Divisional Office, Phaltan, on June 19.
In her letter, she had accused two police officers of the Phaltan Rural Police Department of harassment and sought legal action against them. She said she was "under extreme stress, hence, requested that the serious matter be investigated and appropriate action be taken against the guilty officers."
Badne suspended
An official from the Satara Police said that they have registered a case and that the body has been sent for post-mortem. "We are also investigating the allegations mentioned in the suicide note on the victim's hand," he added.
Maharashtra Women's Commission chief Rupali Chakankar also took cognisance of the matter. "We have taken cognisance of the matter and ordered Satara Police to take strict action against the accused. Teams have been deployed to hunt the accused. Those involved in this unfortunate incident will not be spared," she said.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is also the state's Home Minister, meanwhile, spoke to the Satara Superintendent of Police, ordering the immediate suspension of the police officers named by the woman doctor in her suicide note. Fadnavis instructed that strict action be taken against all the accused involved in the case, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) stated in a release.
Opposition targets
Meanwhile, the opposition leaders have hit out at the ruling Mahayuti government.
Senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar wrote on X (formerly Twitter), "When the protector becomes the predator! The duty of the police is to protect, but if they themselves are exploiting a female doctor, how will justice be served? Why was no action taken when this girl had previously complained? The Mahayuti government repeatedly shields the police, which is leading to an increase in police atrocities. Merely ordering an inquiry in this case is not enough. These police officers should be sacked from their jobs; otherwise, they could exert pressure on the investigation. Why was her earlier complaint not taken seriously? Those who ignored it and those who shielded these police officers should face action. Until action is taken against the police, police atrocities will not be curbed."
NCP-SP MP Supriya Sule said, “The suicide case of a female doctor working at the Sub-District Hospital in Phaltan, Satara District, is extremely serious. In the suicide note written by this woman, she had repeatedly informed her seniors that she had been subjected to physical and mental harassment for the past few days. However, no attention was paid to her complaints. Ultimately, she took the extreme step. What exactly is the root cause of this issue? Why was no attention paid to this woman's complaints? Answers to all these questions must be obtained. Those who drove the concerned woman to suicide must be punished. I strongly demand from the Chief Minister of the state that this case be investigated and the guilty persons be given strict punishment. It is our stance that every woman working in the health system, as well as every woman in the state, must get a safe environment."
