Second woman involved in suicide attempt outside Mantralaya dies in Pune hospital

A woman who had consumed a poisonous substance outside Mantralaya to protest medical negligence after her husband was left paralysed, has died. Another woman who attempted suicide with her also died. The police are searching for an activist who may have instigated them.

A woman from Navi Mumbai, who had consumed a poisonous substance outside Mantralaya on March 27, died at Pune’s Sassoon General Hospital on Tuesday. Sangeeta Davare took the extreme step to protest the inaction over her complaint of medical negligence after a surgery left her husband, a police constable, paralysed in one leg.

Second woman involved in suicide attempt outside Mantralaya dies in Pune hospital

Another woman, Sheetal Gadekar from Dhule, who had attempted suicide along with Davare, had died a few hours later. Gadekar too wanted police action as her land was allegedly taken away by her husband’s friend after his death.

“We have received information that Davare has died. We are searching for the activist who is suspected to have instigated them to try killing themselves in order to get the state government’s attention,” a police officer from Marine Drive police station said.

According to the police, Davare’s husband Hanumant Davare had got her discharged from JJ hospital against medical advice on March 28 and took her to Lonand in Satara district in a cardiac ambulance and later got her admitted to Sassoon General Hospital.

Claiming that the doctor tried to kill her husband, Davare said she took him to another hospital in Ulwe, the officer said. “Davare said she had gone on a fast unto death twice but no action was taken against the accused, who was indicted in a probe by government doctors in Thane. Her husband’s medical bills were not sanctioned by the police department, the family was debt-ridden, and with two children to look after, life was tough. In the interview, she had specifically said that she would be taking her own life at 1 pm on March 27.”

Police sources said they had received intelligence about Davare planning to attempt suicide. After her interview, her picture was even given to the Mantralaya security wing. The Navi Mumbai police used to counsel her but for three days before the incident she was not traceable.

Around 1.30 pm on March 27, the two women came in the same taxi to Mantralaya. They were stopped at the gate by security personnel but they had already consumed the poison by then, police officers said. Besides, both of them were wearing scarves, making it difficult to identify Davare, the police officer said.