Satara woman doctor suicide: CM Fadnavis orders setting up of SIT for probe

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered the setting up of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the suicide of a woman doctor in Satara district last week, an official said on Friday.

The doctor, hailing from Beed district of central Maharashtra, was found hanging in a hotel room in Phaltan on October 23. In a suicide note written on her palm, she alleged that sub inspector Gopal Badane raped her on multiple occasions, while Prashant Bankar, a software engineer, mentally harassed her. Both have been arrested.  The CM, who holds the Home portfolio, has directed the state Director General of Police to constitute the SIT under a woman IPS officer immediately, the official added. The move comes amid pressure from citizens and political parties seeking justice for the deceased's kin. The victim's family had also appealed for an SIT investigation to ensure stern punishment for the culprits. Meanwhile, BJP leader Chitra Wagh thanked Fadnavis for the decision to set up an SIT.