Case filed against NCP leader over his daughter-in-law's alleged dowry death

The family claims that her husband, Shashank Hagawane, and his relatives consistently demanded dowry payments amounting to Rs 2 crore. Representational Pic

The Pimpri Chinchwad Police in Pune have filed a case for abetment of suicide and dowry death against five individuals, including the husband and in-laws of 23-year-old Vaishnavi Hagawane. She reportedly died by suicide at her marital home in Bhukum, Mulshi tehsil, last Friday, according to a police spokesperson.

Vaishnavi Shashank Hagawane, the daughter-in-law of Rajendra Hagawane, a member of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Ajit Pawar, died under suspicious circumstances. Her family accuses her in-laws of harassment and torture related to dowry demands, reported ANI.

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In a complaint lodged by Vaishnavi's father, Anil Kaspate, it is stated that his daughter was found hanging around 4:30 pm on Friday, allegedly due to ongoing mental and physical abuse inflicted by her in-laws. The family claims that her husband, Shashank Hagawane, and his relatives consistently demanded dowry payments amounting to Rs 2 crore.

According to ANI, Kaspate's complaint details that Rajendra Hagawane, along with Vaishnavi's husband and in-laws, received 51 tolas of gold, a luxury car, and silver utensils during the marriage. They also insisted on a lavish wedding venue and had recently sought Rs 2 crore from Vaishnavi's father.

Following Vaishnavi's demise, Pimpri Chinchwad Police have registered a case under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 80(2), 108, 115(2), 352, 351(2), and 3(5) at Bavdhan police station and arrested three individuals Vaishnavi's husband, sister-in-law, and mother-in-law while her father-in-law, Rajendra Hagawane, and his elder son, Susheel Hagawane, remain absconding. The police are conducting further investigations into the matter.

The case has also sparked political controversy.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken serious cognisance of the case, given its implications related to dowry harassment and the suspicious circumstances of Vaishnavi's death, as per news agency ANI.

In a similar case, the Navi Mumbai Police in Maharashtra have arrested the husband and two women in connection with the murder of his wife and are looking for two contract killers, officials said on Wednesday.

The The 27-year-old Navi Mumbai based housewife, identified as Alvina Kishore Khangar Singh, was found dead with her throat slit at her home in Ulwe area on the night of May 18, prompting the Navi Mumbai police to launch a probe.

(With inputs from ANI)