Mumbai: Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday slammed the Opposition for politicising the Satara doctor suicide case. Pointing out that the two suspects named in the suicide note, including a police sub-inspector, have been arrested, Mr. Fadnavis asserted that he will not rest till justice is served in the case. However, the opposition has continued to mount pressure on the chief minister. Congress MP Praniti Shinde demanded the CM’s resignation. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, called it an institutionalised murder.
The woman doctor, a native of Beed district in Marathwada, was found dead in a hotel room in Satara on Thursday. She was serving as a medical officer at the Phaltan Sub-District Hospital in Satara.
According to police, the doctor had written a suicide note on her palm in Marathi, in which she accused Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) Gopal Badne of raping her four times over a span of five months. She also named Prashant Bankar, alleging that he physically and mentally harassed her.
Both suspects named in the suicide note were arrested on Saturday. However, the Opposition has tried to link the case with the ruling party leaders and demanded Mr. Fadnavis’s resignation.
Mr. Fadnavis, who was in Phaltan, Satara, to attend an event, alleged that efforts were made to prevent his visit for the inauguration and foundation-laying of several development projects. He slammed the Opposition for unnecessarily dragging the names of former BJP MP Ranjitsinh Nimbalkar and NCP MLA Sachin Patil in the case.
Referring to the doctor as “younger sister”, Mr. Fadnavis said he will not tolerate the attempts to politicise the case. “The incident is extremely unfortunate. She had written a suicide note on her palm, and both accused in the case have been arrested. I will not rest till justice is delivered. The unfortunate death has been politicised, and I will not tolerate such attempts,” he said.
Congress MP Praniti Shinde met the family members of the woman doctor at their residence in Beed district to offer her condolences. “Instead of protecting women, the chief minister and home minister (Mr. Fadnavis holds both positions) wastes time making personal and demeaning remarks against women MPs. But when it comes to actually ensuring women’s safety, they raise their hands in helplessness. They have brought the dignity of Maharashtra’s culture to a new low. I believe it is necessary for the chief minister-home minister to resign,” she said.
Condemning the alleged rape and suicide, Mr. Gandhi posted on his X handle, “A promising doctor daughter, who aspired to alleviate the suffering of others, fell victim to the torment of criminals entrenched in a corrupt system and power structure. The very authorities tasked with protecting the public from criminals committed the most heinous crime against this innocent woman —raping and exploiting her.”
Citing some “reports”, Mr. Gandhi claimed that some influential individuals associated with the BJP also attempted to pressure her into corruption. “This is the most despicable example of a criminally protected ideology. This is not a suicide — it is an institutional murder,” he said.
Meanwhile, family members of Bankar alleged that the doctor had proposed marriage to him in October, which he declined. Bankar’s sister alleged that the doctor mentioned his name in the suicide note out of frustration over the rejection.
According to reports, the police have recovered messages and call data records between the doctor and Bankar. In the suicide note, the doctor claimed she faced repeated pressure from police officers to issue fitness certificates for accused individuals. The doctor had previously filed complaints against three police officers, including Badane, earlier this year. However, she had never complained about any sexual harassment in the past.
However, sources from the police department said the doctor often refused to issue fitness certificates and declared accused persons unfit without grounds, which led to delay in arrests. This prompted the police department to request her replacement.
After the police submitted their complaint, a two-member committee was appointed to investigate. In August 2025, the doctor submitted a detailed statement reiterating her allegations and warning, “if anything happens to me, the police will be responsible.”
