Maharashtra doctor suicide case: Suspended cop’s phone submitted to police

A relative of the now-suspended police sub-inspector Gopal Badane, one of the two arrested accused in the alleged suicide of a woman doctor in Maharashtra, has handed over his phone to the investigators and it will now be subjected to a forensic analysis, officials said on Wednesday.

The 28-year-old doctor was found hanging in a hotel room in Phaltan town of Satara district on the night of October 23. The post-mortem mentioned the cause as asphyxia due to hanging, indicating that the doctor died by suicide.

In a note written on her palm, she alleged PSI Badane raped her on multiple occasions, while Prashant Bankar, a software engineer, mentally harassed her, police have said.

The Satara police are probing the case.

On Tuesday, the police had said that Badane had hidden the phone somewhere and they were seeking information from him about its whereabouts.

Speaking on Wednesday, Satara Superintendent of Police Tushar Doshi said, “One of the relatives of Badane has handed over his phone to his relatives. The device will be sent for forensic analysis.” Talking about Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare claims of discrepancies in the victim’s handwriting, Doshi said that handwriting was a piece of evidence in the investigation and it has been sent to experts.

He said unless the police get the report, comments can be made regarding it.

He, however, said that the investigation so far pointed that it was a case of suicide.

“As far as the CCTV footage and other evidence are concerned, no one visited the room where the woman doctor was staying. The autopsy report has also stated that the death was caused by hanging,” he said.

Meanwhile, the owner of the lodge owner in Phaltan, where the woman doctor allegedly committed suicide, said the deceased was allotted the room after necessary procedures were followed.

As per the CCTV footage available at the hotel, no one had visited her room while she was inside, he said.