Black Ribbons Sweep Maharashtra Hospitals: Grieving Medics Demand Justice for Satara Doctor, PSI Arrested

Mumbai- In a shocking incident that has ignited widespread fury in Maharashtra's medical community, 28-year-old Dr. Sampada Mundhe, a dedicated government medical officer at the Sub-District Hospital in Phaltan, Satara district, died by suicide on October 24. Her death, allegedly triggered by months of relentless physical and mental harassment, has exposed deep-seated issues of workplace abuse, police impunity, and administrative negligence in public health institutions.

As resident doctors across the state donned black ribbons in a symbolic protest on October 25, authorities arrested one accused while the prime suspect, a police sub-inspector surrendered at the Phaltan Rural Police Station later evening. The doctor was cremated at her native village in Beed’s Wadwani tehsil on Friday night.

Dr. Mundhe, originally from Beed district, was found lifeless in a hotel room in Phaltan late on Thursday evening, October 24. The young doctor, who had been serving at the rural hospital for over a year, reportedly took her life amid extreme distress caused by alleged repeated sexual assaults and intimidation. In a poignant and desperate final message, she inscribed her accusations directly on the palm of her hand, naming Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) Gopal Badane for raping her multiple times, up to four instances, over a five-month period, and Prashant Bankar, the son of her landlord, for subjecting her to severe mental harassment and threats to evict her from her rented accommodation in Satara. The duo, according to the note, allegedly colluded in the abuse, with Badane leveraging his position to intimidate her.

Colleagues and family revealed that Dr. Mundhe had repeatedly flagged the harassment to her seniors, including warnings of her deteriorating mental health, but no substantive action was taken to protect her. Further compounding the tragedy, relatives disclosed that she had endured significant police and political pressure in prior months to falsify post-mortem reports in unrelated cases, a burden that exacerbated her trauma. In 2024, she had formally complained to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) about this coercion, yet the grievance was dismissed without follow-up. "There was a lot of police and political pressure on her to prepare a wrong mortem report. She tried to complain about it. She should get justice," a family member told media outlets. Her body was promptly sent for post-mortem examination, with forensic teams analyzing the handwritten note for authenticity.

The Satara District Police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Badane and Bankar under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, including those pertaining to rape (Sections 63, 64(2)), abetment to suicide (Section 108), and criminal intimidation (Sections 74, 75). This case echoes the systemic failures highlighted in the 2024 RG Kar Medical College rape-murder in Kolkata, where institutional lapses allowed predators to thrive unchecked.

In a swift initial response, Prashant Bankar was arrested on October 25 and produced before a local court following a medical examination. He was sent to 4 days police custody. Sub-inspector Badane was suspended from service after his name surfaced during the probe. He remained at large until Saturday evening, but later surrendered at the Phaltan Rural Police Station, Satara SP Tushar Doshi said.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, addressing the crisis on October 25, vowed "strict action" and emphasized that "no one will be spared," while urging against politicizing the "very serious and unfortunate" matter. "The government has immediately suspended the concerned police officials and arrests are being made," he stated.

Relatives have demanded the harshest penalties, including a transfer of the probe to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) or a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for impartiality.

The suicide has galvanized Maharashtra's doctors, drawing parallels to broader concerns over safety, especially for women in remote postings. The Central Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (Central MARD), representing resident physicians statewide, issued a scathing open letter to Chief Minister Fadnavis on October 25, condemning the "tragic and heartbreaking death" and outlining eight pointed demands. These include the immediate arrest of both accused, a CID/SIT-led judicial inquiry with time-bound completion and public disclosure, preservation of all evidence (CCTV, logs, records), strict departmental action against negligent officials, statewide mental health support mechanisms, and robust implementation of Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) committees in government hospitals.

As a mark of solidarity, Central MARD orchestrated a "Black Ribbon Protest" across Maharashtra on October 25, with doctors wearing black armbands or ribbons while on duty to symbolize mourning and resolve. "Justice delayed is justice denied," the association declared in a public post, vowing escalation including statewide strikes and non-cooperation, if arrests and the probe transfer do not materialize promptly.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) Maharashtra State branch expressed similar outrage, calling for immediate suspensions, arrests, and enhanced protections for doctors under duress.

National IMA spokesperson Dr. Dhruv Chauhan amplified these voices, drawing stark comparisons to the RG Kar case in a social media post: "There are 3 serious concerns which are hidden behind the Rape and Suicide of the doctor just similar to RG Kar case:

• Why the police officers were pressurising her? What case was being manipulated?

• Why the Senior police officers whom she complained didn’t take cognisance of the matter?

• Who is the politician involved in this case which lead to the political pressure in the entire case?"