Payal Zambare suicide case: Police recover 35 tolas of gold, search on for remaining 15 tolas

Pune, November 11, 2026: In the dowry harassment case linked to the suicide of Payal Zambare, police have recovered 35 tolas of the 50 tolas of gold allegedly involved. The remaining 15 tolas have not yet been found.

Police have also sought seizure of the mobile phone of the accused mother-in-law. It is alleged that the dowry demand was made from this phone. The absconding sister-in-law (husband's sister) has also not been traced so far, and police are searching for her.

Citing the incomplete investigation, the court on Monday extended till November 11 the police custody of Payal's husband Akshay Arvind Zambare, father-in-law Arvind Vasantrao Zambare and mother-in-law Mangal Arvind Zambare. The order was passed on November 9 by Judicial Magistrate First Class Nandita K. Mutha.

A case against the three accused is registered at Swargate police station. They are accused of physically and mentally harassing Payal over a dowry demand and abetting her suicide.

The three accused were produced in court on Monday after their police custody ended. Seeking an extension, the investigating officer told the court that the remaining gold ornaments had to be recovered and the mother-in-law's phone seized. Tracing the absconding sister-in-law and completing the investigation were also pending.

Advocates Pushkar Patil, Ruturaj Pasalkar and Akash Kamathe, appearing for the prosecution, argued that further custodial interrogation of the accused was necessary to recover the remaining gold and the phone and to trace the absconding accused.

The defence strongly opposed the police request.

After hearing both sides, the court examined the investigation papers and the case diary. It observed that recovery of the remaining gold ornaments and the mobile phone was still pending. According to the court, custodial interrogation of the accused was necessary to take the investigation to its logical conclusion.

On this basis, the court extended the police custody of the three accused by two days. The husband, father-in-law and mother-in-law will now remain in police custody till November 11, while the search for the remaining 15 tolas of gold, the phone and the absconding sister-in-law continues.