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20-year-old woman dies by suicide in alleged dowry case
A 20-year-old woman in Pune died by suicide amid alleged dowry harassment. Police have charged her husband and in-laws; investigation ongoing.
A 20-year-old woman died by suicide in Wagholi, Pune, in what police are investigating as a case of alleged dowry harassment. The incident occurred on Saturday, when the woman, identified as Swati Suraj Pathak, reportedly jumped from the second floor of her residence. She was immediately taken to a nearby hospital, where she was declared dead.
Based on preliminary investigations, the police have registered a case against her husband and in-laws under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including charges related to dowry harassment and abetment of suicide. The investigation is ongoing.
The accused have been identified as Suraj Pathak, who is in the transport business, his mother, Sunita Pathak, and Sunita’s brothers, Arun and Arvind Upadhyay. Suraj Pathak was arrested on Sunday.
Vinayak Ahire, API at Wagholi police station said, “We have booked the husband and his family based on the complaint filed by the victim’s parents. A detailed investigation is underway.”
Swati had been married to Suraj in March 2024, and her family has alleged that she faced continuous harassment over dowry demands. Police investigation revealed that Suraj demanded ₹3 lakh from the parents of Swati as he wanted to purchase a car. Swati’s parents paid ₹3 lakh to their son-in-law, and soon after, Suraj returned their money.
Police are continuing their investigation, and statements from family members, neighbours, and others are being recorded to establish the full sequence of events. A case has been filed at Wagholi police station under BNS sections 80,115(2),3(5) and 352.
