Husband's pipe assault, rat poison suicide attempt, pledged 51kg gold: Chilling details of Vaishnavi Hagawane death case

PUNE: Expelled NCP functionary Rajendra Hagawane (57) was arrested on Friday morning, along with his elder son, Sushil (27), from Swargate, after seven days being on the run following his younger daughter-in-law Vaishnavi Hagawane's alleged death by suicide in the family's home in Bhukum on May 16."Acting on a tip-off, we took Hagawane and his son into custody from the Swargate area around 7am. Later, our team produced them before a court (judicial magistrate first class NS Bari), which ordered their custodial remand till May 28," Pimpri Chinchwad's deputy commissioner of police (zone-II) Vishal Gaikwad said.At least six police teams were on the pursuit of expelled NCP functionary Rajendra and his son, Sushil.Earlier, Vaishnavi’s husband, Shashank, mother-in-law, Lata, and sister-in-law, Karishma Hagawane, were arrested on May 17 for offences under sections 80 (dowry death), 108 (abetment of suicide), 352 (intentional insult), 351(criminal intimidation) and 3 (5) [common intention] of the BNS. A court remanded them in police custody till May 26.Senior inspector Anil Vibhute of the Bavdhan police on Friday stated in a remand report to the court that the police had added an offence under Section 118 (2) [voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means] of the BNS to the case after investigations revealed that Shashank would assault Vaishnavi with a pipe. The police have seized it.The report mentioned a more startling fact that Vaishnavi attempted death by suicide by consuming rat poison on Nov 27, 2023. She survived after being treated at a private hospital in Aundh. The police have collected the hospital papers as well as the medico legal case papers from Wakad police.So far, statements of 12 witnesses have been recorded and viscera of the victim has been preserved for an analysis at FSL, Pune. The police have initiated correspondence with two banks to seek information about 51kg gold, which Vaishnavi received as “Streedhan” and was pledged by her in-laws to the bank, and to freeze her inlaws’ bank lockers and account. A high-end SUV and a scooter given as part of wedding gifts had been impounded, the police informed the court. CCTV cameras and DVRs from Hagawane’s residence in Bhukum have been seized.DCP Gaikwad said, “We have been collecting all the necessary evidence to ensure that the case reaches its logical end — all those arrested are convicted and punished for the alleged crime.”Senior police inspector Vibhute said, “Over the last seven days, the Hagawane father-son duo visited multiple places in Pune, Satara and Kolhapur districts, and neighbouring Karnataka. They changed fourwheelers during this period to evade the police, but were finally tracked down and arrested.”A Pimpri Chinchwad crime branch officer said, “On realising that they were in trouble over the case registered by the Bavdhan police, Rajendra and Sushil first stayed at a lodge in Alandi on May 17 and then reached a friend’s farm in Maval on May 18. The following day they went to Pusegaon in Satara district and on May 20 stayed at a resort at Kognoli near Kagal in Kolhapur district. The duo then went to Nipani in Karnataka and returned to Pune in the early hours of Friday.”Assistant public prosecutor Yogesh Kadam told court that police needed time to interrogate Rajendra and Sushil about the motive behind pledging the 51kg “Streedhan” gold with a bank and if Vaishnavi’s consent was secured to pledge the gold or was she tortured to agree to such a transaction.