Satara— Following the arrest of two men named in the suicide note of a 29-year-old woman doctor from Maharashtra, one of the accused, Prashant Bankar’s family, has claimed that he was in a romantic relationship with the deceased and has denied any allegations of harassment.
The young doctor, employed at a government-run hospital in Satara, allegedly died by suicide on Thursday. In her suicide note — written partly on her palm and in a four-page letter — she accused sub-inspector Gopal Badane of repeatedly raping her and Bankar of mentally and physically harassing her over the past several months.
Police officials said preliminary investigation confirmed that the doctor and Bankar were close for several months before their relationship reportedly turned bitter. Both accused were arrested soon after the complaint was registered.
Speaking to Sources, Bankar’s sister alleged that the doctor had proposed marriage to her brother in October through a text message, which he declined. “He told her he regarded her as an elder sister. Out of anger, she mentioned his name in the suicide note,” she claimed, requesting anonymity.
She further stated that the doctor and her brother had become close after the doctor treated him for dengue. “A day before her death, she made several desperate calls to Prashant. We have given all screenshots and call records to the police. The truth will come out soon,” she added.
Meanwhile, Prashant’s brother, Sushant Bankar, also refuted the harassment charges. “If my brother had harassed her, why did she celebrate Diwali with our family? We have photos as proof,” he said, adding that the doctor had become emotionally disturbed in the weeks leading up to her death.
He also mentioned that the doctor had been staying in a rented apartment nearby for nearly a year. “She often visited our home. My brother told me she had threatened to end her life several times,” Sushant said.
Police continue to probe the case, examining digital evidence and call records to verify the claims and counterclaims made by both sides.
