28 October,2025 05:30 PM IST | Beed | mid-day online correspondent
Congress members protest against Maharashtra government over the Satara doctor suicide case, in New Delhi on Tuesday. Pic/PTI
The relatives of a woman doctor, who allegedly died by suicide in the Satara district of Maharashtra last week, have claimed that someone used the 28-year-old's fingerprint to unlock her phone following her death and deleted crucial information from it.
They also alleged that the âlast seen' status on the doctor's WhatsApp account showed activity even after her death, raising suspicion that someone else may have operated it, news agency PTI reported.
The 28-year-old doctor who hailed from Beed district in central Maharashtra, was posted at a government hospital in Satara. Her body was found in a hotel room in the Phaltan town of Satara district on the night of October 23.
In a suicide note written on her palm, the doctor alleged that Sub-inspector Gopal Badane had raped her multiple times, while a software engineer mentally harassed her. Both the sub-inspector and the engineer were arrested on October 25.
Speaking to reporters on Monday night, the victim's uncle claimed that the woman doctor's mobile phone had been accessed using her fingerprint after her death and important data had been deleted.
"We were informed about the doctor's death by hanging, but by the time we reached the spot (hotel room), her body had already been taken to the hospital. We later found out that a suicide note was written on her hand," he said.
"We suspect that her mobile phone was tampered with after her death. Before we arrived at the spot, someone had used her fingerprint to unlock the phone and erased vital information related to the incident. Her WhatsApp 'last seen' status appears to show activity after her death, which raises further suspicion that the phone was operated by someone else after her death," he added.
The family has demanded that the case be heard in a Beed district court to ensure an impartial investigation, PTI reported.
Dr Omprakash Shete, the state government representative coordinating with the doctor's family, visited her hometown on Monday evening and assured her kin that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis would be briefed on the matter to ensure justice. The family also submitted a memorandum of demands to him.
Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar and Congress leader Vijay Waddetiwar also spoke to the victim's family members over the phone and assured them of their support until justice is delivered, PTI reported.
Meanwhile, the residents of Wadwani in Beed observed a bandh on Tuesday, demanding a probe by a special investigation team (SIT) into the case.
(With PTI inputs)
