Court rejects discharge plea of Solapur hospital’s ex-staffer in abetment of neurologist's death by suicide

Kolhapur: Solapur's principal district and sessions judge Manoj Sharma has rejected a plea by the former woman administrative officer of a neuroscience hospital seeking discharge from the case of abetting the hospital founder and well-known neurologist Dr Shirish Valsangkar's death by suicide on the night of April 18 last year."There is sufficient material on record which gives rise to a grave suspicion and also prima facie shows that commission of suicide by the deceased was in connection with the threats given by this applicant," judge Sharma said in his order on April 20.The applicant, Manisha Mane-Musale (46), who is out on bail granted on June 25 last year, will now have to face trial in the case, posted for next hearing on April 27. Solapur police had arrested her on April 20 last year after a note purportedly written by Valsangkar blamed her for driving him to take the extreme step.Musale was disturbed by the hospital management's decision to cut her salary and reduce her authority and had sent an email to Valsangkar threatening to kill herself and set her two sons ablaze. The note mentioned Valsangkar as stating that he was deeply saddened by false and baseless allegations."The record shows that, deceased was a renowned neurologist and though mail by the applicant may not have affected other directors but it may have created a deep impact on the deceased as he himself claimed to have nurtured the applicant, due to which, she was raised to the level of administrative officer of the hospital," the court noted.Public prosecutor Pradip Rajput said, "There is sufficient evidence against the accused not only about her threatening the doctor but also about harassing him. Suicide note clearly establishes the connection. We will now seek framing of charges against her to see that the trial begins at the earlier."Advocate Prashant Navghire, representing Musale, said, "We will challenge the sessions court's order before the Kolhapur bench of the Bombay high court. Already, we have sought a certified copy of the order from the court for this purpose and will study the same before filing an appeal."The case was registered at Sadar Bazar Police Station against the accused after Valsangkar shot himself to dead using his licensed firearm. The doctor was known across the state. Musale was working under him since 2008. Valsangkar set up the SP Institute of Neurosciences, which is now managed by his son, Ashwin Shirish Valsangkar.