IBNS-CMEDIA: Fresh CCTV footage from a hotel in Maharashtra’s Satara district has confirmed that the 28-year-old woman doctor, whose death last week triggered widespread political outrage, checked into the lodge alone on the night she died, contradicting claims that she might have been coerced or murdered.
The footage, released by the hotel owner, shows the doctor entering the premises by herself and completing the check-in process shortly after leaving software engineer Prashant Bankar’s residence, where she had attended a Lakshmi Puja on October 23.
Her body was found in the hotel room later that night, with what appeared to be a suicide note written on her palm, naming Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) Gopal Badane and Bankar.
Both men have since been arrested on charges of sexual assault and abetment to suicide.
The video evidence emerged after Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare publicly questioned whether the doctor had entered the hotel voluntarily.
In response, the hotel owner released the footage to local authorities, asserting that no one accompanied her.
Officials said the doctor had left Bankar’s home following an argument over photographs taken during the Lakshmi Puja.
According to Maharashtra State Commission for Women chairperson Rupali Chakankar, Bankar’s father briefly persuaded her to return home, but she left again shortly afterward and checked into the nearby lodge.
Before taking her life, investigators say the doctor sent a series of text messages to Bankar, indicating emotional distress and hinting at suicidal thoughts. Police also confirmed a late-night phone call from her to Bankar, though it remains unclear if he answered.
Hotel staff discovered her body the following morning. Preliminary autopsy findings suggest death by hanging, while the final forensic report is still awaited.
Serious allegations against police officer
The note found on the doctor’s palm accused PSI Gopal Badane of repeatedly sexually assaulting her and Bankar of ongoing mental harassment.
Satara police chief Tushar Doshi said that digital evidence confirmed the doctor’s recent contact with Bankar, though her last interaction with Badane dated back to March.
The rape investigation against Badane is now being handled by officers from outside the Phaltan division to ensure impartiality.
Investigators also uncovered written complaints the doctor had filed earlier against Badane and other officers. One, dated June 19, accused them of coercing her to issue false medical fitness certificates for criminal suspects.
Political fallout
The case has sparked a political storm in Maharashtra.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi termed it “an institutional failure,” while Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis defended the ongoing probe and warned against politicising the tragedy.
State coordinator Dr. Omprakash Shete met the victim’s family in Beed, assuring them of the Chief Minister’s personal oversight.
Leaders, including Prakash Ambedkar (Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi) and Vijay Waddetiwar (Congress) have pledged legal support to the family.
On Tuesday, the doctor’s hometown of Wadwani observed a complete shutdown, demanding an inquiry by a Special Investigation Team (SIT).
