A tragic case from Maharashtra’s Satara district has taken a new turn after the arrest of Pune-based software engineer Prashant Bankar, accused of involvement in the alleged suicide of a 28-year-old woman doctor. The arrest came soon after another co-accused in the case surrendered. According to police, Bankar has claimed that the doctor had been harassing him by pressuring him to marry her and engage in a physical relationship.
Software Engineer Claims Harassment by the Deceased Doctor
Bankar, one of the two men named in the doctor’s suicide note, allegedly maintained that he was not at fault. “We had called him and told him to surrender. His social media records and call details have been given to the police. My brother never called the doctor. Instead, it was the doctor who used to call him repeatedly and harass him,” Times of India quoted Bankar’s brother as saying.
Bankar’s sister also shared details of their brief acquaintance, stating, “Last month, my brother came to Phaltan to recover from dengue infection. The doctor treated him, and they exchanged numbers. Around 15 days ago, she proposed marriage to him. He turned down the proposal. During Diwali, she seemed tense, but we thought it was work-related. She was like family to us, and our mother treated her as her own daughter.”
According to police, investigators have found several chats and call recordings between the accused and the deceased. These conversations revealed that the doctor had been speaking about “stress” and “pressure,” the TOI report added.
Family of the Deceased Doctor Seeks Justice
The young doctor’s cremation took place at her native village in Wadwani tehsil, Beed, on Friday night. Her grieving relatives are now demanding the death penalty for those accused. One family member told a news channel that the doctor had complained several times about harassment, but her complaints were ignored.
Another relative alleged that the doctor had been under political pressure to manipulate medical reports at the sub-district hospital in Phaltan, where she worked. “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,” the relative said, according to a PTI report.
Government’s Response and Legal Action
The case has sparked outrage across Maharashtra, prompting strong statements from state officials. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis condemned the incident, saying, “This is a very serious issue. A young doctor wrote her suicide note on her hand before committing suicide. It is very unfortunate, and the government, immediately taking action, has suspended the concerned police officials, and arrests are also being made. No one will be spared. Strict action will be taken… Politicising such a sensitive issue is very insensitive.” (ANI)
Meanwhile, Satara SP Tushar Doshi confirmed that a local court has remanded Prashant Bankar to four-day police custody till October 28 as the investigation continues.
This case continues to raise serious questions about workplace pressure, harassment, and accountability in public institutions particularly when complaints by victims are allegedly ignored until it is too late.
Also Read: Maharashtra Doctor’s Suicide Note Reveals Rape, Harassment & Threat; MP Name Emerges
