Fri May 23 07:54:17 UTC 2025: **Summary:**
A former Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader from Pune, Rajendra Hagawane, and his son Sushil Hagawane, have been arrested after being on the run. They were wanted in connection with a dowry harassment and abetment of suicide case involving Rajendra Hagawane’s daughter-in-law, Vaishnavi. Vaishnavi allegedly took her own life after being harassed by the family for more dowry despite her parents already giving 51 tolas of gold, silver, and an SUV at the time of marriage. Ajit Pawar, head of the NCP, had expelled the father-son duo from the party. Vaishnavi’s husband, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law had already been arrested prior to Rajendra and Sushil’s capture.
**News Article:**
**Pune: Ex-NCP Leader and Son Arrested in Dowry Death Case**
**Pune, May 23, 2025:** Rajendra Hagawane, a former Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader from Pune, and his son, Sushil Hagawane, have been apprehended by police after a city-wide manhunt. The arrests were made in the Swargate area as the pair attempted to flee the city. They are accused of dowry harassment and abetment of suicide in connection with the death of Rajendra Hagawane’s daughter-in-law, Vaishnavi, on May 16, 2025.
Vaishnavi, 26, allegedly took her own life at her in-laws’ residence in the Bavdhan area of Pimpri-Chinchwad. Her parents claim she was subjected to persistent harassment and demands for more dowry, despite already providing a significant amount of gold, silver, and an SUV at the time of her marriage. They allege that the Hagawane family demanded an additional ₹2 crore to purchase land.
“We had formed six teams to track down Rajendra Hagawane and Sushil Hagawane,” stated Vishal Gaikwad, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 2) of the Pimpri Chinchwad area. “Both will be produced in court during the day.”
The incident has sparked outrage, leading to the expulsion of the father-son duo from the NCP by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
A First Information Report (FIR) has been filed against Vaishnavi’s husband Shashank, mother-in-law Lata Rajendra Hagawane, sister-in-law Karishma, Rajendra Hagawane, and Sushil Hagawane under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Sections related to abetment of suicide and domestic violence.
Police had previously arrested Vaishnavi’s husband, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law. Rajendra and Sushil Hagawane were the last remaining suspects at large. This case highlights the continued prevalence of dowry-related violence in India and underscores the importance of stringent enforcement of anti-dowry laws.
First Piper 