Maharashtra woman doctor ends life with suicide note on palm after rape by police officer
New Delhi, India: In a chilling reflection of India’s worsening women’s safety crisis, a 28-year-old woman doctor working at a government hospital in Maharashtra’s Satara district committed suicide after accusing a police officer of rape and prolonged mental harassment.
According to Indian media reports, the victim was found hanging in a hotel room in Phaltan. In a suicide note written on her palm, she alleged that Satara Police Sub-Inspector Gopal Badane had raped her multiple times over the past five months, while a software engineer, Prashant Bankar, subjected her to persistent mental abuse.
The note reportedly read: “Badane raped me four times. He subjected me to rape, mental and physical abuse for more than five months.”
Police sources said the deceased had earlier filed a complaint against certain police officers with the Sub-Divisional Police Officer of Phaltan, but no visible action was taken. A senior police official also revealed that the victim had been pressured to alter post-mortem and medical test reports of arrested suspects in several cases.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage across the Indian state, with opposition leaders blaming the Devendra Fadnavis-led government for failing to ensure women’s safety. Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said the case reflects a “complete breakdown of law and order” under the current regime.
The tragedy has once again brought to light the recurring cases of sexual assault, custodial abuse, and official complicity reported across India, where victims — especially women working in public sectors — continue to face systemic intimidation and denial of justice.
