‘Asphyxia due to hanging’ identified as cause of death in Satara doctor suicide case: Police

The post-mortem report of the doctor, whose suicide following alleged rape has led to the arrest of two men, including a police officer, in Maharashtra, has cited 'asphyxia due to hanging' as cause of death, a senior police official said on Tuesday.

The 28-year-old doctor, posted at a government hospital in Satara district in western Maharashtra, was found hanging in a hotel in Phaltan town on October 23. She left behind a suicide note written on her palm, alleging police sub-inspector (SI) Gopal Badane raped her on multiple occasions, while Prashant Bankar, a software engineer, mentally harassed her, police have said.

The physician's post-mortem was conducted at a state-run hospital, where her viscera (internal organs) have been preserved and they will be sent for chemical analysis at a forensic science laboratory, the official said.

Her post-mortem report was received on Tuesday and it cited 'asphyxia due to hanging' as cause of death, he said.

In medical terms, asphyxia due to hanging indicates death caused by a lack of oxygen resulting from a person's body being suspended by a ligature around the neck.

During police investigation, it came to light that the MBBS doctor used to write with the right hand and after writing the suicide note on her palm, she clicked a photo of it on mobile phone, according to the official.

The pen used to write the note on the palm was found near the body, he said.

As per doctors and police, the woman, who originally hailed from Beed district in central Maharashtra, ended her life around midnight and before taking the extreme step, she called software engineer Bankar and spoke to him and also exchanged WhatsApp messages.

Bankar, arrested from Pune, is the son of the owner of the home where she stayed on rent in Phaltan town.

Their last communication on mobile phone was recorded at 9.58 pm (on October 23), the official said, adding there was no forced entry inside the hotel room, where she was found dead.

The Satara police probing the case have sent samples of her handwriting to the Maharashtra CID along with the photo of the note on her palm to ascertain if there are any discrepancies, he said.

During the probe, it also came to light that the deceased doctor's contract at the sub-district hospital where she was posted had been renewed at least two times. Her contract used to get renewed every 11 months, stated the official.

If the doctor was facing work pressure, she had the option of changing the place of duty, the official said, adding she came to Phaltan from Wai, also in Satara district, and was designated a medical officer.

Police are investigating the case from various angles, he said.

Both accused in the case, Bankar and PSI Badane, have been arrested and are currently in police custody.