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Mumbai: Senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday spoke to the family of the Beed-based woman doctor who allegedly died by suicide in Satara district, assuring them of his support in their demand for justice. He also assured the doctor’s family that the Congress party would press the government to ensure justice in the case.Mr. Gandhi spoke with the victim’s mother and other members of the Munde family over the phone to console them. “Do not be afraid; we stand with you. The Congress Party will exert pressure on the government to ensure justice for Dr. Sampada Munde,” he said. The Congress leader also sought complete details of the case from the victim’s family and from State Congress President Harshvardhan Sapkal, who met the family at their home in Kavadgaon village, Beed district. Terming the incident ‘a murder,’ Mr. Sapkal demanded that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) be constituted and a probe be conducted under the supervision of a High Court judge. He also demanded former BJP MP Ranjitsinh Naik Nimbalkar be arrested immediately. Mr. Sapkal said, “Dr. Sampada Munde was subjected to immense pressure to do wrongful acts and was severely harassed. Several incidents exposing Ranjitsinh Naik Nimbalkar’s hooliganism have already come to light. What is infuriating is that even before any investigation began, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis publicly gave a clean chit to Naik Nimbalkar. This is outrageous. The probe should be conducted outside Phaltan, under the supervision of a senior woman officer.” Mr. Sapkal also announced that the Congress party will launch statewide protests demanding justice for the victim’s family. “The Congress Party will not remain silent. We will take to the streets to ensure justice for Dr. Sampada Munde. Youth Congress has already staged a protest in Delhi and the Mahila Congress will soon launch statewide protests,” he said. The 29-year-old doctor was found dead in a hotel room in Phaltan town, Satara district, on the night of October 23. The postmortem revealed the cause as asphyxia due to hanging, indicating death by suicide. In a message written on her palm, the woman doctor alleged that police sub-inspector Gopal Badane had raped her multiple times, while software engineer Prashant Bankar had subjected her to mental harassment, according to police. Both accused were arrested on October 25. However, Bankar’s family has alleged that the doctor was angry after he rejected her marriage proposal and therefore implicated him.
