Pune dowry death case: Special IG (Prisons), who issued gun licences to Hagawanes, transferred

Activist Anjali Damnia had earlier sought that Supekar be stripped of additional charge of three prisons as those accused in the suicide case were likely to be lodged there. Supekar is a relative of Vaishnavi’s husband and father-in-law, both arrested in the case.

On Thursday, separate cases were lodged against Vaishnavi’s husband Shashank and brother-in-law Sushil Hagawane at the Warje and Kothrud police stations in Pune city, for “fraudulent representation” of their address by “deceptive means” for obtaining gun licences.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said the state government will inquire into Supekar’s role in issuing weapons licences to members of the Hagawane family. “We have received complaints about it and have started an inquiry. Some decisions (on Supekar) have been taken to ensure there is no influence or interference in the investigation into the death of Vaishnavi,” Fadnavis said.

When asked about the large number of weapons licences issued in Pune in the last two years, Fadnavis said the government will look into it and cancel those issued illegally.

On the arrest of Nilesh Chavan, accused of harming Vaishnavi’s 10-month-old son, Fadnavis said Chavan was planning to escape to Nepal.

Vaishnavi died by suicide on May 16 at her marital home in Pimpri-Chinchwad near Pune. Her family alleged she was tortured by her husband’s family for dowry, which included a demand of Rs 2 crore. Police have already arrested Rajendra Hagawane and his son Sushil in the case, among others.