police-arrest-prashant-bankar-in-satara-doctor-suicide-case

Police in Satara district on Saturday arrested Prashant Bankar in connection with the death of a female doctor who allegedly took her own life after being repeatedly raped by a police officer and pressured by a Member of Parliament (MP) to falsify medical reports for accused individuals.

 

Prashant Bankar, the son of the landlord of the house where the doctor resided, was named in her four-page suicide note. The deceased, originally from Beed district, was posted as a medical officer at a government hospital in Phaltan, Satara.

 

On Thursday night, she was found hanging in a hotel room under circumstances described by authorities as suspicious.

 

The doctor’s suicide note, which was also written on her palm, accused Sub-Inspector Gopal Badane of raping her four times and Prashant Bankar of mental harassment.

 

She also claimed that police officials and MP aides had pressured her to issue false fitness certificates for accused individuals in police cases.

 

Following Prashant Bankar’s arrest, police said he would be produced before the court and custody sought for further investigation. Sub-Inspector Badane has been suspended, and a detailed enquiry is underway.

 

Also Read : Maharashtra doctor’s suicide sparks outrage across political line

 

Both individuals have been booked at the Phaltan Police Station. Satara Superintendent of Police Tushar Doshi confirmed that the rape allegations and Prashant Bankar’s involvement are being thoroughly investigated.

 

The female doctor had worked at the Phaltan sub-district hospital for 23 months. She stated in her note that she had repeatedly complained to authorities about the abuse but no action was taken. In one instance, she wrote that she had refused to issue a certificate, prompting two personal assistants of an MP to make her speak to him over the phone, during which she felt indirectly threatened.

 

Her cousin corroborated claims that the doctor had been made to falsify medical certificates under pressure. Authorities continue to probe the roles of the accused and others named in her detailed note.