The 26-year-old, who worked as a medical officer at the Phaltan sub-district hospital in Maharashtra’s Satara, had written on her palm that she had been raped four times by a sub-inspector.
The doctor who died by suicide in Maharashtra’s Satara and accused a police officer of raping her four times also left behind a four-page suicide letter in which she said she was pressured to issue fake fitness certificates of accused in police cases and was harassed when she refused, it has now emerged. The pressure, she says in her letter, was exerted not only by police officials but even, in one case, by a member of Parliament and two of his personal assistants.
The 26-year-old, who worked as a medical officer at the Phaltan sub-district hospital in Satara, had written on her palm that she had been raped four times by Sub-Inspector Gopal Badne and subjected to mental and physical abuse for over five months. The woman had been serving in the hospital for 23 months and was just a month away from completing her bond period – requiring service in a rural area – after which she intended to pursue a post-graduate degree.
NDTV has accessed a copy of the four-page letter in which she states that police officers pressured her into issuing fake fitness certificates for accused, many of whom would not even be brought in for a medical examination. When she refused, she would be harassed by Badne and others.
Recounting one particular instance, she said she had refused to issue a certificate and two personal assistants of a member of Parliament had walked into the hospital. They had dialled the MP and made her speak to him, and he had threatened her indirectly.
Similar allegations about the doctor being made to falsify medical certificates were also made by her cousin.
“She had raised complaints on two to three occasions. Despite writing a letter to the Superintendent of Police (SP) and Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), no action was taken,” he told NDTV on Friday.
“In the letter, she asked that if anything happened to her, who would be responsible for it? She also flagged the lack of security at the premises, but nothing happened. She also called the DSP, who said he would call her back, but no one took any action,” he added.
In her letter, the doctor has also mentioned that she was harassed by her landlord, Prashant Bankar.
A case has been filed against Badne and Bankar under charges of rape and abetment to suicide, and the police officer has been suspended.
“We are investigating the matter on the basis of evidence gathered so far. A case has been lodged in Satara district. The police officer involved in the case has been suspended,” Sunil Phulari, Inspector General of Police (Kolhapur division), was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
‘Why No Action?’
The case has also led to a political row with the Congress hitting out at the BJP-led government in the state and accusing them of shielding the police.
“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 lodged a complaint? The Mahayuti government repeatedly shields the police, which is leading to an increase in police atrocities,” Congress leader Vijay Namdevrao Wadettiwar said in a post on X.
The BJP assured that a thorough investigation will be carried out.
