Woman dies by suicide; husband, in-laws arrested for dowry harassment

The arrested accused include the woman’s husband, father-in-law, mother-in-law, and a relative. They were produced in court on Monday and remanded in police custody till August 16

A day after a 27-year-old woman died by suicide at her in-laws’ residence in Ambegaon Budruk, Katraj, her husband and in-laws were arrested for physical, mental harassment and abetment to suicide on August 10.

The couple got married on May 2, 2024, but within days, her in-laws began pressuring her to bring ₹20 lakh from her parents to fund a business. When she couldn’t fulfil the demand, they allegedly subjected her to harassment, says police. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

The arrested accused include the woman’s husband, father-in-law, mother-in-law, and a relative. They were produced in court on Monday and remanded in police custody till August 16.

According to police inspector Rahul Khilare, in-charge of Ambegaon police station, “The couple got married on May 2, 2024, but within days, her in-laws began pressuring her to bring ₹20 lakh from her parents to fund a business. When she couldn’t fulfil the demand, they allegedly subjected her to harassment.”

The woman’s father has filed a police complaint. The complaint states that the woman had earlier filed a dowry harassment complaint in Solapur against her in-laws under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 498. However, the case was withdrawn after both families sought to resolve the matter. The C-summary report in that case was filed just 11 days before her death.

Khilare said, “We have arrested four persons, including the in-laws, and a relative in connection with the incident which took place at her in-laws’ residence where she took the extreme step on August 9.”

The police have booked the accused under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Sections 108 (abetment), 85 (act caused by inducement), 115(2) (abetment of suicide), 352 (assault), 351(2)(3) (criminal intimidation), and 3(5) (dowry harassment).

Reacting to the incident, NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar on X posted, “While the tragic case of Vaishnavi Hagawane’s death over dowry-related demands is still fresh, yet another deeply saddening incident has occurred. Every individual responsible must face the strictest possible punishment.”

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