On May 16, 2025, Vaishnavi Shashank Hagawane, a 23-year-old woman, was found dead at her marital home in Bhukum, Mulshi tehsil, Pune. According to police reports and the complaint filed by her father, Anil Kaspate, Vaishnavi had been facing severe mental and physical harassment from her husband and his family over dowry demands.
Despite her family’s efforts to meet initial demands—including giving 51 tolas of gold, a luxury car, silver utensils, and hosting a lavish wedding—her in-laws allegedly continued to pressure her for an additional ₹2 crore to purchase propert. Unable to bear the escalating abuse, Vaishnavi reportedly died by suicide, although her family suspects murder due to injury marks found on her body.
Following the incident, the Pimpri Chinchwad Police registered a case of abetment of suicide and dowry death against five individuals, including Vaishnavi’s husband, mother-in-law, father-in-law (Rajendra Hagawane, an NCP functionary), sister-in-law, and brother-in-law. Three arrests have been made—her husband, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law—while her father-in-law and elder brother-in-law remain absconding.
The case has been filed under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including those related to dowry death, abetment of suicide, and physical assault. The police are also investigating the possibility of murder, given the suspicious circumstances and the injury marks noted in the FIR.
The case has sparked outrage across Maharashtra, as Vaishnavi’s father-in-law is a local leader in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), led by Ajit Pawar. The party has since expelled both Rajendra Hagawane and his son after their names surfaced in the FIR. Prominent leaders, including MP Supriya Sule, have called for a judicial inquiry and swift, impartial justice for Vaishnavi and her family
“The case of Vaishnavi Hagawane’s dowry death is deeply disturbing. Given the marks of assault on her body, it is essential that an impartial investigation be conducted to determine whether it was murder or suicide,” said Supriya Sule, NCP (SP) MP.
Despite decades of legal reforms, dowry harassment remains a grim reality for many Indian women. The Vaishnavi Hagawane case is not an isolated incident—reports suggest that dowry-related abuse and deaths continue to claim lives, even among educated and influential families.
