Written by Alok DeshpandeDecember 9, 2025 11:49 AM IST 3 min readMaharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Tuesday said that the handwriting in a note left by the deceased woman doctor in Satara district’s Phaltan has been determined to be her own and the people named in it have been found to be involved in harassing her.“The doctor had written a note on her hand and two names were mentioned in it. The investigation has found that the handwriting matches her own,” Fadnavis stated during the Question Hour in the state Legislative Assembly after BJP MLA Ameet Satam raised a question about the doctor’s death.The doctor who worked at a government hospital in Phaltan was found dead, allegedly by suicide, on October 22. She was reportedly pressured to falsify certain medico-legal reports to serve vested interests. Satam questioned whether the handwriting in the note was confirmed to be hers and if the two people mentioned in it had a role in her death.“It has been found during the investigation that Police Sub-Inspector Gopal Badane sexually exploited her by promising marriage. It has been found that the second accused (Prashant Bankar) too cheated her. The accused died due to hanging and not by strangulation as per the investigation so far. However, we have ordered a judicial inquiry to probe whether any additional individuals are involved in it,” said Fadnavis, adding that a woman IPS officer is also probing the case.The chief minister said it was unfortunate that efforts were made to politicise the issue. He further assured the Assembly that women’s security is of paramount importance and the government is committed to ensuring it. Fadnavis added that the doctor was on an 11-month contract, so the government cannot consider giving a job to a family member of hers on compassionate grounds. He, however, assured that the government would extend maximum possible assistance to the family.Replying to a query on the implementation of the Shakti Act, Fadnavis said that the Act has been returned to the state, since certain provisions under it encroach upon the Centre’s powers. The Bill, which mandates stringent action for crimes against women and children, was passed by the state legislature in 2021 and sent for the President’s nod.However, the three new criminal laws deal with women’s safety more effectively, he said, referring to the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA).Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd