29 October,2025 10:47 PM IST | Pune | mid-day online correspondent
Earlier, the police had said the PSI had concealed his phone. Representational pic
A relative of suspended police sub-inspector, one of the two accused in the alleged suicide of a woman doctor in Maharashtra's Satara district, has handed over his mobile phone to the police, officials said on Wednesday. The device will now be sent for forensic analysis.
According to the news agency PTI, the 28-year-old doctor was found dead in a hotel room in Phaltan town on the night of October 23. The post-mortem reports confirmed death by suicide. In a note written on her palm, she accused PSI of sexually assaulting her multiple times and software engineer Prashant Bankar of mental harassment, according to police.
Earlier, police had said that the PSI had concealed his phone, and efforts were underway to trace it.
On Wednesday, Satara Superintendent of Police Tushar Doshi confirmed that the device was now recovered through a family member and would undergo forensic examination.
As per PTI, while addressing claims by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare about discrepancies in the victim's handwriting, Doshi said the handwriting samples have been sent to experts, and police would wait for the report before commenting further.
He added that the investigation so far indicates suicide, as CCTV footage and other evidence showed that no one entered the victim's room during her stay. The autopsy report also confirmed death by hanging.
Meanwhile, the lodge owner in Phaltan clarified that the room was allotted following due procedure and that no visitors were recorded on CCTV during the doctor's stay.
The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) on Wednesday launched a protest against the Satara doctor's death case, demanding a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the matter.
The MARD demanded an urgent transfer of the investigation into the death of the 28-year-old woman doctor at the Sub-District Hospital in Phaltan in Satara to an independent Special Investigation Team (SIT). The association has called for the SIT to operate under judicial supervision to ensure a fair and transparent inquiry, an official statement said on Wednesday.
MARD has expressed deep anguish over the incident, highlighting concerns about administrative accountability, workplace safety, and the dignity of doctors in the government healthcare system.
The association also condemned conflicting reports and speculative narratives circulating in the media, which have created confusion and raised doubts about the impartiality of the ongoing investigation.
(With PTI inputs)
