Sule meets kin of doctor who committed suicide, seeks SIT under ex-judge for fair probe in case

Beed, Nov 3 (PTI) Nationalist Congress Party (SP) Lok Sabha member Supriya Sule on Monday met family members of a woman doctor who ended life in Maharashtra's Satara district after alleging rape and harassment by two men, and expressed solidarity with them and supported their quest for justice.

Speaking to reporters after meeting the doctor's family in Beed in central Maharashtra, she urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who holds the home department, not to give a "clean chit" to anyone until the probe into the last month's incident was completed.

The NCP (SP) working president demanded a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by a retired judge to ensure a fair and transparent inquiry into the alleged suicide by the 28-year-old doctor, who was working in a government hospital.

The government last month said an SIT headed a woman IPS officer will probe the case.

Sule raised questions over the state government's handling of the case.

"It must be probed whether it was murder or suicide as Maharashtra has the right to know the truth. Atrocities against women must stop immediately. The government must look at this matter with humanity, not politics," the Lok Sabha MP from Baramati in Pune district asserted.

The Opposition politician criticized what she called the BJP-led Mahayuti government's "insensitive approach" towards the episode and said some members of the ruling coalition were making irresponsible statements.

Sule was accompanied by NCP (SP) Lok Sabha MP from Beed Bajrang Sonawane and party youth wing president Maheboob Shaikh during her visit.

The doctor, hailing from Beed district, was found hanging in a hotel room in Phaltan town of Satara in western Maharashtra on October 23. She was working in a sub-district hospital in Phaltan. In a suicide note written on her palm, she alleged sub-inspector Gopal Badane raped her on multiple occasions, while Prashant Bankar, a software engineer, mentally harassed her. Both have been arrested.

After meeting the doctor's family, Sule said, "Certain statements made by some government representatives in this case are extremely insensitive and disturbing. The doctor was a capable daughter of Maharashtra and she must get justice. People feel attempts are being made to suppress the case, but we will not remain silent until justice is done." Expressing concern over the alleged leak of the CDR (call data records) in the case, Sule questioned how selective information was made public and said such "dirty politics" has no place in Maharashtra.

"Let the investigation happen. Why this hurry? Whoever is guilty - no matter who they are - must be punished," the NCP (SP) working president said.

Sule informed that her party MP Sonawane will soon meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi to apprise him of facts of the case.

She appealed to two Deputy Chief Ministers - Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde - to act without any political pressure and ensure justice for Maharashtra's daughter.

"We stand firmly with the bereaved family on humanitarian grounds. No political interference should come in the way of justice," Sule affirmed.

"The daughter of Maharashtra deserves justice. People like (Shiv Sena UBT leader) Sushma Andhare and Maheboob Shaikh (of NCP-SP) are paying attention to the issue, but it appears there is an attempt to suppress the case," she alleged. PTI MR COR GK RSY