Maharashtra – The Maharashtra doctor suicide case has taken several dramatic turns with new allegations of procedural irregularities and claims of a potential second suicide note. The tragic death of the 29-year-old government doctor in Satara has triggered a wave of shock across the state, as competing claims and counterclaims continue to emerge, painting a complex picture of alleged harassment, professional pressure, and investigative lapses.
The Maharashtra doctor suicide case involves serious allegations of rape by a police sub-inspector and harassment by her landlord’s son, while also raising troubling questions about the treatment of medical professionals and the handling of the investigation itself.
Allegations of Postmortem Procedural Violations
In a significant development in the Maharashtra doctor suicide case, the deceased doctor’s cousin has raised serious concerns about procedural lapses following her death. He alleged that no postmortem was conducted until 6 am, despite the doctor dying late Thursday night in a hotel room.
The cousin stated that the body was transported from her residence to the hospital without family members present, which he claims violated standard protocols. “When she died, there was no one to perform her postmortem till 6 am. They brought her dead body from her residence to the hospital in our absence. All this should have happened in front of the family members,” the cousin stated, highlighting what he perceives as irregular handling of the Maharashtra doctor suicide investigation.
These procedural concerns have added another layer of complexity to the already contentious Maharashtra doctor suicide case, raising questions about whether proper investigative protocols were followed from the outset.
Claims of Professional Pressure and Coercion
The cousin’s allegations in the Maharashtra doctor suicide case extend beyond procedural concerns to include claims that the doctor faced intense professional pressure. He asserted that she was forced to produce false postmortem reports and forge fitness certificates under political and police pressure for approximately one year.
“She was under a lot of political and police pressure for the last year. Medical staff at the hospital are also involved…She was being forced to perform more and more postmortems despite other officers being present at the hospital,” the cousin explained, suggesting systemic issues may have contributed to the Maharashtra doctor suicide tragedy.
These allegations paint a picture of a medical professional caught between competing pressures, forced to compromise professional ethics under duress from multiple sources of authority.
Police Present Counter-Narrative
In response to family allegations in the Maharashtra doctor suicide case, police officials have presented a contrasting narrative. Senior officers claim the doctor had been “reluctant to conduct pre-arrest medical examinations at night” and frequently failed to cooperate in issuing fitness certificates for accused individuals brought to the hospital.
Police allege she routinely declared accused persons unfit “without sufficient grounds” and refused to remain available round-the-clock for medical formalities, which allegedly prompted them to seek her replacement. This counter-narrative suggests the Maharashtra doctor suicide case involves disputed professional conduct and conflicting interpretations of the doctor’s duties.
The Possibility of a Second Suicide Note
Perhaps the most intriguing development in the Maharashtra doctor suicide case is the cousin’s suggestion that another suicide note may exist. When the doctor was initially found dead, a note written in Marathi was discovered on her palm, accusing Police Sub-Inspector Gopal Badane of raping her four times and her landlord’s son, Prashant Bankar, of physically and mentally harassing her for five months.
However, the cousin believes this brief note doesn’t fully represent his sister’s struggle. “We believe that when her dead body was taken to the hospital, she must have left behind another suicide note. She fought hard and wrote 4-page complaint letters. She cannot die with just a little note on her palm,” he stated, suggesting the Maharashtra doctor suicide case may involve additional evidence yet to be discovered.
Previous Complaints and Ignored Warnings
The Maharashtra doctor suicide case reveals a disturbing pattern of ignored complaints. The doctor had written to the Sub-Divisional Police Officer in June 2025, detailing how she was “forced” to issue fitness certificates for accused individuals. Gopal Badane was specifically named in that letter.
Following her complaint, Phaltan police submitted a counter-complaint to the Satara Civil Surgeon, accusing her of deliberately issuing “not fit” certificates that delayed arrests and custodial remands. After her June complaint was ignored, she filed an RTI appeal on August 13, seeking details of action taken on her earlier letter, demonstrating persistent efforts to address her concerns in the Maharashtra doctor suicide case.
Arrests and Political Implications
Both Gopal Badane and Prashant Bankar were arrested on Saturday, October 25, following the Maharashtra doctor suicide revelations. However, the case has also acquired political dimensions, with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis giving a clean chit to former BJP MP Ranjitsinh Naik Nimbalkar, whose name surfaced in an earlier letter by the deceased doctor.
Opposition leader Ambadas Danve questioned this decision, asking, “Is the chief minister himself an investigating officer now? Without waiting for the police report, how can he announce that someone is innocent?” MLA Sachin Patil was also given a clean chit in connection with the Maharashtra doctor suicide case, raising questions about the investigation’s independence and thoroughness as this tragic case continues to unfold.
