October 26, 2025

Maharashtra’s Satara district has turned into a hotspot of drama and tragedy. The shocking death of a woman government doctor set off a chain of urgent police action. Officials confirmed that Sub-Inspector Gopal Badane surrendered himself on Saturday evening (October 25, 2025) at Phaltan Rural Police Station and was promptly arrested, said district SP Tushar Doshi. Earlier in the day, the police also caught software engineer Prashant Bankar from Pune. The doctor named both Badane and Bankar in a chilling note. Bankar was accused of mentally harassing the woman and faces a charge of abetment to suicide. Satara district court sent him to police custody for four days. The doctor, originally from Beed district in Maharashtra's Marathwada region, worked at a government hospital in Satara and was found dead on Thursday night (October 23, 2025). A heart-breaking detail emerged from a note she wrote on her palm. In it, she alleged that police Sub-Inspector Badane raped her multiple times, while Prashant Bankar mentally harassed her. Police registered cases of rape and abetment of suicide against the two accused. They revealed that Bankar is the son of the landlord where the doctor lived. The doctor had been in contact with Bankar over calls and messages before her death. After the allegations surfaced, Badane was suspended from his police duties. The doctor was given her last rites in her hometown in Wadwani tehsil, Beed district, on Friday night. Her family is demanding the harshest punishment—capital punishment—for those involved. A relative said, "She complained multiple times about harassment, but her grievances were not addressed." Another told a news channel that "Political people in Phaltan often asked her to change medical reports as she used to be regularly on autopsy duty. She had complained multiple times against the PSI (named in the note), but her complaints were not looked into." Adding fuel to the fire, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve accused former BJP MP Ranjitsingh Naik Nimbalkar of pressuring the doctor in the past. Nimbalkar strongly denied these claims, stating the allegations were completely false and that his name was being dragged deliberately. Meanwhile, BJP MLA Suresh Dhas demanded that the MP who allegedly pressured the woman doctor be made an accused too, but did not name anyone. Earlier this year, the doctor reportedly told authorities in Satara district that she was threatened by police officials over how she did her work, with derogatory remarks about crime in her home district Beed. Her two cousins, also doctors, say she was assigned post-mortem work deliberately to harass her. Her family revealed that the victim had big dreams—she wanted to pursue an MD degree. Her uncle said, "Her father is a farmer and not educated. I am a teacher and took her to Beed for schooling. She did not want to stop at MBBS but wanted to pursue MD in medicine, ENT, or non-clinical branches." The family also mentioned that a loan of ₹3 lakh taken for her MBBS was still unpaid. This tragic story has left many shaken and demanding justice. For those facing distress or suicidal thoughts, helpline numbers are available: Connecting NGO at 1800 843 4353 (Toll-Free) or 9922001122, daily from 12 noon to 8 p.m., Pune. Stay tuned as this case unfolds with more twists and calls for justice shake the heart of Maharashtra.

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Tags: Maharashtra, Woman doctor death, Sub-inspector gopal badane, Prashant bankar, Rape case, Mental harassment,