Maharashtra doctor's father has only one demand for CM Fadnavis: 'Hang the culprits to death'

The father of the Maharashtra doctor, who died by suicide in Phaltan, Satara district, on Saturday demanded death penalty for the perpetrators who are behind his daughter's death.

The doctor, 26, who was from Beed district, hanged herself in a hotel room in Phaltan on Thursday night. She was the sole resident medical officer at the Phaltan hospital.

In his direct plea for justice to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the father said that his only demand is that "the culprits should be punished with death by hanging. That's all. There is nothing else. This is my demand."

"This happened to my daughter. But at least from now on, such atrocities should not happen to other daughters. So, the people who do this should definitely be punished with the death penalty," he added.

In her suicide note on her palm, she accused police sub-inspector Gopal Badne of raping her several times over five months. She also accused software engineer Prashant Bankar, the son of the owner of the victim's flat, of mentally harassing her during this period.

Bankar who was working in Pune was arrested on Saturday. Badne is still absconding.

The bereaved father said everyone stood and watched when the injustice happened. "There were Duryodhana and Dushasana there, but not a single Krishna came forward to help my daughter. So, for the sake of the daughters in the future, at least one Krishna should come forward and protect her honour," he said.

CM Fadnavis assured the victim's relatives that no one who is directly or indirectly involved in the case would be spared. "The doctor dying by suicide and writing such a letter on her hand shows the pain she went through. Yesterday, we suspended the officer involved. We have initiated an investigation, and no one will be spared. The Opposition is politicising it. Even if someone is involved directly or indirectly, they won't be spared," he said.

The doctor, in her suicide note, said she was pressured to falsify postmortem reports. In one instance, police allegedly forced her to declare a high-blood-pressure patient fit for custody. She wrote a complaint to the deputy superintendent of police in June, but no action was taken.

India