Pune Crime l 'Four Slaps By Husband Don't Amount To Harassment, Vaishnavi Hagawane Was Chatting With Another Man': Defence Claims In Court

In the Vaishnavi Hagawane suicide case, police have sought an extension of custody for the accused, while the defense has opposed the request, controversially casting doubt on Vaishnavi’s character.

Last week, police arrested Rajendra Hagawane, Vaishnavi's husband Shashank, mother-in-law Lata, sister-in-law Karishma, and brother-in-law Sushil. Later, five more individuals were arrested, including the son of a former Karnataka minister, for allegedly sheltering Rajendra Hagawane and Sushil while they were on the run.

According to a by Sakal, Shashank, Lata, and Karishma Hagawane were remanded to police custody for one day, while Rajendra and another brother-in-law Sushil Hagawane were remanded for three days.

Despite postmortem findings indicating bruises and allegations of torture made by Vaishnavi’s parents, the defense argued in court that “four slaps by the husband do not amount to harassment.” They further claimed Vaishnavi had suicidal tendencies and had been chatting with another individual. According to the defense, this person was to be engaged on May 18, prompting Vaishnavi to take her life on May 16.

The defense also denied dowry allegations, asserting that the Hagawane family is wealthy and owns cars worth Rs 5 crore. They questioned the direction of the investigation, claiming that the police were ignoring the “real” reason behind her suicide.

Vaishnavi Hagawane suicide case

Vaishnavi, the daughter-in-law of expelled NCP leader Rajendra Hagawane, hanged herself at her marital home in Bavdhan, Pimpri-Chinchwad, on May 16. Her family alleges that she was being harassed for dowry, including a demand for Rs 2 crore to purchase land, by Rajendra Hagawane and his relatives.

According to her parents, the Hagawane family was gifted 51 tolas (595 grams) of gold, silver, and an SUV at the time of the wedding. The harassment, they claim, continued even after these gifts. The lavish wedding, held at a luxury resort in Pune in 2023, was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who personally handed over a symbolic key to the couple.