Congress attacks Fadnavis govt over Satara doctor's suspected suicide, Rahul Gandhi calls it ‘institutionalised murder’

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday attacked Maharashtra's BJP-led Mahayuti government following the suspected suicide of a woman doctor in the Satara district, describing the tragedy as a case of "institutionalised murder."

In a social media post on X, Gandhi asserted that the doctor's death exposed the "inhumane and insensitive" face of the Devendra Fadnavis administration. The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha lamented that a promising medical practitioner, who had dedicated herself to alleviating the suffering of others, had become a victim of persecution by criminals entrenched within a corrupt system.

"The suicide [of a doctor]…in Satara, Maharashtra, driven to despair by rape and harassment, is a tragedy that shakes the conscience of any civilized society. A promising doctor daughter, who aspired to alleviate the pain of others, became a victim of the persecution by criminals entrenched in a corrupt system and power structure," the social media post said.

Gandhi added that his party stands firmly with the victim's family in their pursuit of justice.

“When power becomes a shield for criminals, from whom can justice be expected?” he asked, adding that the “death exposes the inhumane and insensitive face of this BJP government. We stand firmly with the victim's family in this fight for justice. For every daughter of India--no more fear, we demand justice”.

Two Suspects Arrested

A note found on the hand of the doctor, whose body was discovered in Satara on Friday, named a police officer and two other individuals, claiming they had driven her to take her own life through sustained physical and mental harassment.

Satara Police have since arrested two people, identified as Police Sub-Inspector Gopal Badne and Prashant Bankar. A case has been registered against the pair under allegations of rape and aiding and abetting suicide. The Police Sub-Inspector mentioned in the note was suspended immediately following this development.

Doctor Subjected to Political Pressure

The deceased doctor's relative also claimed she had been subjected to political pressure relating to her work.

"There was a lot of police and political pressure on her to make wrong mortem reports. She tried to complain about it. My sister should get justice," the cousin told ANI.

Another cousin of the victim demanded strict punishment for those involved. "The accused should get the strictest of punishment," he said.

The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) has condemned the death of their colleague and called for an immediate and transparent inquiry into the incident.