Special Correspondent
Pune : In a disturbing development in the Vaishnavi Hagwane dowry death case, the post-mortem report has revealed that her body bore 29 visible injuries—five to six of which were recent. These findings strongly suggest that Vaishnavi was subjected to repeated and brutal physical abuse at the hands of her in-laws, right up to the day of her death. The report strengthens suspicions that her suicide was not a sudden act, but the culmination of prolonged domestic violence and mental torture.
Vaishnavi Shashank Hagwane allegedly died by suicide by hanging herself at her matrimonial home in Pune. The 24-year-old had reportedly faced relentless harassment for dowry. In the days following her death, her husband Shashank Hagwane, mother-in-law Lata Hagwane, and sister-in-law Karishma Hagwane were arrested. However, her father-in-law Rajendra Hagwane and brother-in-law Sushil Hagwane had gone absconding soon after the incident on May 17.
After nearly five days on the run, the two were finally arrested by police on the morning of May 22. Their arrest, however, opened up a wider trail—one that revealed how a network of acquaintances, including politically connected individuals, allegedly helped them evade law enforcement across multiple locations in Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Police investigations uncovered that Rajendra and Sushil Hagwane were offered shelter by five individuals who are now also under arrest. Among them is Mohan alias Bandu Uttam Bhegade, a close friend of the Hagwane family, and Bandu Laxman Phatak, the owner of a farmhouse near Pavana Dam, where the accused initially hid. From there, they were shifted to Pusegaon in Satara district, where Amol Vijay Jadhav and Rahul Dashrath Jadhav provided shelter. Eventually, they were taken to Karnataka and hidden in Kognoli, Chikodi district, by Pritam Veerkumar Patil.
What has shocked the public further is the political link: Pritam Patil is the son of senior Congress leader and former Karnataka Energy Minister, Veerkumar Patil. His involvement has added a high-profile dimension to the case, raising serious questions about how political influence may have been used to obstruct justice. All five who assisted the accused are now in police custody and are being interrogated for their role in aiding the absconding duo.
With all the primary accused now in custody, police say the investigation is entering a crucial phase. The focus is on establishing the chain of abuse that Vaishnavi was subjected to, and on how and why multiple individuals—including a politician’s son—chose to shield those accused in a dowry death.
Vaishnavi’s case has sparked outrage across Maharashtra and beyond, reigniting demands for swift justice in crimes related to dowry harassment. Civil society groups and women’s rights activists have called for the case to be fast-tracked and monitored to ensure no political or financial power dilutes the investigation.
As the probe continues, the Hagwane family and their associates are likely to face serious charges—not just for abetment to suicide and domestic violence, but also for criminal conspiracy and evading arrest with external help. Police officials have assured that no one will be spared, and that the investigation will be carried out with full transparency and legal rigor.
