Rahul Gandhi Terms Satara Doctor’s Death An “Institutionalised Murder”

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday (October 26, 2025) termed the death of a woman government doctor in Maharashtra's Satara district as an "institutionalised murder," accusing the BJP-led Mahayuti government of exposing its "inhuman and insensitive" face by shielding criminals in power. In a Hindi post on X, Gandhi described the incident as a "tragedy that shakes the conscience of any civilised society," vowing his party's support for the victim's family in their fight for justice.

According to The Hindu, the doctor, Dr. Sampada Mundhe, a 29-year-old from Beed district posted at Phaltan sub-district hospital, was found hanging in a hotel room in Phaltan town on Thursday night (October 23, 2025). In a suicide note written on her palm, she alleged repeated rape by police Sub-Inspector Gopal Badane and mental harassment by software engineer Prashant Bankar. Gandhi highlighted reports of BJP-linked influential figures pressuring her into corruption, calling it a "shameful example of crime by power-protected ideology." "When power becomes a shield for criminals, from whom can justice be expected?" he questioned, adding, "For every daughter of India—no more fear, we need justice."

Badane, as per PTI, surrendered at Phaltan Rural Police Station on Saturday evening October 25 and was arrested, while Bankar was remanded to four days' police custody by a Satara court on abetment of suicide charges. A case of rape and abetment to suicide has been registered against them. The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) condemned the death and demanded a transparent investigation. Gandhi's remarks echo Congress's broader attacks on the Fadnavis government, framing the tragedy as systemic failure to protect women in authority roles.