Special Correspondent
Pune: The dowry death case of Vaishnavi Hagavane from Pimpri had sent shockwaves across Maharashtra. After being on the run for several days, the key accused – Rajendra Hagavane and his son Sushil Hagavane – were finally arrested by the Bawdhan police of Pimpri Chinchwad from the Swargate area. Both had earlier been expelled from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) following the outrage.
Rajendra Hagavane, a former office bearer of the NCP, is the father-in-law of the deceased Vaishnavi. While her death was initially reported as a suicide, subsequent allegations from her family led the police to register a case of dowry death. The accused went into hiding soon after.
Public outrage erupted across the state, with women’s rights groups and social activists demanding immediate arrest of the culprits. The matter drew strong reactions from top political figures, including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, and the Home Minister, all of whom took serious note of the incident.
Acting on a tip-off, the Bawdhan police laid a trap in Swargate and succeeded in apprehending the accused. According to police sources, Rajendra and Sushil had been frequently changing locations to evade arrest.
Vaishnavi’s family had accused her in-laws of relentless physical and mental harassment, as well as a constant demand for an exorbitant dowry. Despite giving 51 tolas of gold, a Fortuner car, silver utensils, and other luxury items at the time of marriage, the in-laws allegedly demanded an additional Rs 2 crore for land purchase. Unable to bear the pressure, Vaishnavi is believed to have taken her own life. Her family also suspects foul play and has hinted at murder.
Postmortem reports revealed multiple injury marks on Vaishnavi’s body, adding further suspicion to the case.
A heartbreaking dimension to the case was the disappearance of Vaishnavi’s 10-month-old son, who had been missing for eight days. Following intervention by CM Fadnavis, the Pimpri Chinchwad police were instructed to launch an urgent search. Within two hours, the child was located and subsequently handed over to Vaishnavi’s parents.
So far, the police have arrested Vaishnavi’s husband Shashank Hagavane, her mother-in-law Lata Hagavane, and sister-in-law Karishma Hagavane. With the latest arrests of Rajendra and Sushil Hagavane, all key accused are now in police custody.
The case has reignited debates on dowry practices, women’s safety, and legal accountability in domestic abuse cases.
