Female doctor suicide shows law and order breakdown in Maharashtra: Congress
Mumbai (PTI): The Opposition Congress on Friday hit out at the Mahayuti government over the suicide of a female doctor posted at a government hospital in Maharashtra's Satara district, for which two cops are under the lens, saying the incident reflects a breakdown in law and order.
The incident raises grave concerns about the safety of women when those entrusted with their protection reportedly turned perpetrators, Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said, referring to the policemen named by the deceased in her suicide note.
The 28-year-old doctor, originally hailing from Beed district in central Maharashtra, was found hanging in a hotel room in Phaltan town late on Thursday night, police said.
In a suicide note written on her palm, the physician, posted in Satara district in western Maharashtra, accused two policemen of rape and mental harassment, they said.
According to the suicide note, she was allegedly harassed four times by Police Sub-Inspector Prashant Bankar (one of the two cops named by the victim), causing severe mental trauma, Sawant stated.
Pointing out that if an educated professional felt compelled to take such an extreme step, the plight of ordinary women could be even more vulnerable, he said in a statement.
The incident clearly reflects a breakdown in law and order in the state, Sawant claimed.
"Authorities have been urged to ensure swift justice. There are demands for the accused to face the severest punishment and for the case to be fast-tracked in court to restore public confidence in the law enforcement system," the Congress spokesperson maintained.
Taking cognisance of the incident, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered the immediate suspension of the policemen named by the doctor in her suicide note.
The other policeman named in the note was sub-inspector Gopal Badane, whom the doctor accused of raping and sexually harassing her on multiple occasions.
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Power tariffs under BESCOM to rise from May 1
Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
