Satara doctor death case: Hotel owner denies allegations; police collect more evidence
Shiv Sena (UBT) deputy leader Sushma Andhare raised serious questions about the investigation. Speaking at a press conference, Andhare pointed out differences between the handwriting in the four-page note allegedly written by the deceased doctor and the velanti seen on her hand in photographs.
PUNE: New details have emerged in the Phaltan woman doctor suicide case. The owner of Hotel Madhudeep, Dilip Bhosale, has said that the young doctor appeared nervous and panicked when she arrived at the hotel to book a room.
According to Bhosale, the woman came to the hotel late on October 23 at around 1:30 AM and requested a room. “After completing all the necessary check-in formalities, we gave her a room. After that, no one came out of the room,” he said.
He added, “When the doctor came to the hotel, she looked a bit panicked. She couldn’t park her motorcycle, so our watchman helped her and took her motorcycle in.”
The hotel, which had come under heavy discussion after the incident, was accused by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare, who claimed that the woman doctor was murdered in the hotel.
In response, hotel owner Dilip Bhosale held a press conference on Wednesday in Phaltan to clarify his side. He said that some people were trying to defame him and the hotel.
“This is not a murder; it is a suicide. When we noticed something suspicious around 5 PM., we took legal advice and opened the room door. We immediately informed the police and cooperated fully with them,” said Bhosale.
He explained that the doctor woman checked into the hotel around 1:30 AM on October 23, saying she had to leave for Baramati at 9:30 a.m. the next morning. When she didn’t come out of her room for several hours, the staff got suspicious. Upon opening the door, they found that she had died by hanging.
Bhosale also said, “I have been working in social service for 30–35 years. Because of my good work, some people want to tarnish my image.”
When asked about the hotel’s responsibility for a guest staying alone for such a long time, he admitted, “Yes, it was our responsibility, but since she checked in late at night, we assumed she did not need anything. We became suspicious only after the shift change around 12:30 PM.”
According to Bhosale, it was the first stay of that woman doctor in their hotel. She never halted at our hotel. “We have verified our old record and found that it was her first stay at our hotel,” Bhosale told they have handed over all CCTV camera footage and DVR (a Total of 17 hours of shooting) and other records to the police for further investigation.
Meanwhile, police investigation revealed that before ending her life, the woman doctor allegedly sent a selfie showing the dupatta (scarf) she used to hang herself to Prashant Bankar on WhatsApp. Police sources said that the photo was found during the digital forensic examination of Bankar’s seized mobile phone.
It has also been revealed that the doctor was chatting with Bankar on WhatsApp shortly before her death. During this chat, she sent the selfie that has now become a key piece of evidence in the investigation.
Police are now analyzing the chat messages, photos, and call records to understand the sequence of events leading to the doctor’s death.
Tushar Doshi, Superintendent of Satara Police, said, “There were chats and photos in between them, but we can not disclose more about it at this stage.”
On Wednesday, Shiv Sena (UBT) deputy leader Sushma Andhare raised serious questions about the investigation. Speaking at a press conference, Andhare pointed out differences between the handwriting in the four-page note allegedly written by the deceased doctor and the velanti seen on her hand in photographs.
“The writing in the note shows a long ‘velanti’ while the one on her hand looks different. This raises suspicion about whether it was suicide or murder,” Andhare said.
Andhare also raised doubts about the timeline of events.“Police claim the suicide happened around 7 PM, but how did the woman’s WhatsApp status get liked at 11 PM, the same night? This time gap raises suspicion about the police version,” she said.
Doshi said, “We can not comment much about this at this stage. We can only say that handwriting and other related things have been sent for further technical analysis, and we are now waiting for the report.” As of now, it is difficult to comment on this, as things need to be validated in a scientific way, he added
