Vaishnavi Hagawane dowry-suicide case: Police file over 1,600-page chargesheet

Pune, Jul 15 (PTI) The Pimpri Chinchwad police in Maharashtra's Pune district have filed a chargesheet, running into more than 1,600 pages, in the alleged dowry harassment-suicide case of Vaishnavi Hagawane, officials said.

Vaishnavi, 26, allegedly committed suicide at her in-laws' home in Pimpri Chinchwad near Pune city on May 16 after repeated physical and mental harassment over dowry demands.

"We have submitted a 1,676-page chargesheet in the case against 11 accused, including Vaishnavi's husband - Shahshank Hagawane, mother-in-law Lata Hagawane, father-in-law Rajendra Hagawane, sister-in-law Karishma and brother-in-law Sushil in the sessions court in Pune," senior inspector Anil Vibhute of Bavdhan police station said on Tuesday.

Besides the five Hagawane family members, the police have arrested four accused for harbouring Rajendra Hagawane and Sushil Hagawane when they were on the run in order to evade arrest.

After Vaishnavi's suicide, her father-in-law Rajendra Hagawane was expelled from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Her family has alleged that she was harassed for dowry, including a demand for Rs 2 crore to purchase land.

According to her parents, the Hagawane family was given 51 tolas (595 gm) of gold, silver, and an SUV during the wedding, but the harassment continued. The grand wedding, held at a city-based resort in 2023, saw the SUV keys handed over to the couple by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. PTI SPK NP