In the case of the suicide of a woman doctor in Satara, Maharashtra, a new claim has been brought up. Bhagyashree, a woman, has claimed that the post-mortem report of her daughter has lied that her daughter had died natural death when she has the suspicion that it was a murder. The report was the signature of the same doctor who took his own life in recent times. Bhagyashree assumes that the doctor might have been pressurized to change the post-mortem results.
The Background
On 23 October, a woman doctor who is stationed at Phaltan Civil Hospital committed suicide at a hotel in the city. In her note, she alleged that an MP, his two personal assistants (PAs) and sub-inspector Gopal Badane put pressure on her to give her forged medical certificates. Gopal Badane also was accused of raping her four times by the doctor.
The Allegations of Bhagyashree Pachangane.
Bhagyashree also disclosed that her daughter Dipali got married to an Indian Army officer Ajinkya Hanmant Nimbalkar. Ajinkya called her on 17 August and told her that Dipali was in critical condition and that she was admitted in Raut Hospital in Phaltan. Dipali was six months pregnant at the moment and was said to be ailing because of pregnancy complications.
On 19 August however, Bhagyashree was informed that her daughter had committed suicide. Once the family reached the hospital, the brother in law of the family informed them that it was a case of suicide but Bhagyashree is convinced that her daughter was killed. She argues that Dipali was constantly harassed psychologically and physically by her husband and in-laws.
The police took five days to publish the post-mortem report even after they were requested to publish it several times. Approximately one month later they got the report, which explained the death of dipali as being natural. Bhagyashree feels that this is not true and accuses her son-in-law of taking action to conceal the case using his political and police contacts. She adds that it was the dead woman doctor who was under pressure to alter the report.
There were two arrests in the case of the suicide of the doctor.
Two arrests have so far been made. Absconding sub-inspector Gopal Badane turned himself in at the Phaltan Rural Police Station on the same night, on 25 October. On the following day he was taken into court and put under the custody of the police until 30 October.
Prashant Banker, the son of the doctor landlord and a software engineer by profession was earlier in the day arrested by the police. He is accused of rape and abetment of suicide.
At the time when the doctor was found dead, police found the names of Gopal Badane and Prashant Banker scribbled on her palm. In her suicide note, she said that Gopal had raped her four times in the last five months and Prashant had mentally harassed her and led her to suicide.
There was also a four-page note left behind by doctor accusing an MP and his two PAs of pressuring her to issue fake fitness certificates to some individuals under investigation even to those who had not visited the hospital.
The Physician’s Notes to him written by hand.
The doctor, who hailed in the Beed district, wrote in her note that two personal assistants of the MP personally visited the hospital and ordered fake fitness certificates to be given to some accused persons. They went to the extent of requesting her to make certificates to individuals who had never been presented to be examined. They forced her to talk to the MP on the phone when she turned him down.
Family Members allege Coercion to Meddle with Reports.
According to the allegations of the doctor, her relatives, she was subjected to a lot of pressure to change post-mortem and medical examination reports of arrested people. Her cousin reported that she had already given a complaint to the Satara Superintendent of Police and the Deputy Superintendent but nothing was done. She had even written in the letter that in the eventuality of anything happening to her, the authorities were the ones to blame.
Another relative said that she was experiencing and being harassed by her seniors due to work stress. The physician had already reported to top medical officials on the pressure and mistreatment she was experiencing and threatened that she could commit suicide in case her issues were not addressed.
The manner in which the Incident was found.
According to SP Doshi, the doctor had entered a hotel in Phaltan. The hotel employees knocked on her door and did not find any reply, then opened the door with a spare key. The physician had been hanged on the ceiling. Her body was taken to the post-mortem examination.
The situation is still in progression with investigators looking into the allegations the doctor gives as well as the claims that Bhagyashree claims were made against her about the death of her daughter being covered up due to political reasons.
