Pune court sends husband, in-laws to judicial custody over woman's suicide; sister-in-law absconding

A court in Pune has sent a married woman's husband and parents-in-law to judicial custody in connection with her death. She is alleged to have been subjected to physical and mental harassment over demands that she bring money and gold from her parental home, leading her to die by suicide.

The court granted judicial custody to all three accused but kept open the police's right to seek their custody.

The accused have been identified as the husband, Akshay Arvind Zambare (35), the mother-in-law, Mangal Zambare (58), and the father-in-law, Arvind Zambare (65). All three live in Mukund Nagar. A case has also been registered at Swargate police station against the woman's sister-in-law, Akshata Zambare (30).

The deceased is Payal Akshay Zambare (35). Her brother, Rishikesh Pawar (31), a resident of Khed Shivapur, filed the complaint with the police.

According to the complaint, Payal and Akshay were married in 2019. It alleges that after the wedding, her husband and in-laws began harassing her and pressing her to bring money and gold from her parental home.

The complaint states that the harassment continued from March 13, 2019, to November 1, 2026. Unable to bear the alleged physical and mental torture, Payal took her own life.

During the investigation, Swargate police seized gold and silver jewellery weighing 35 tolas from the Zambare family's home. Police have also taken possession of mobile phones belonging to Akshay, Mangal and Arvind Zambare, along with CCTV footage.

Gold jewellery weighing 15 tolas, allegedly linked to the case, is yet to be recovered.

Meanwhile, the deceased's sister-in-law, Akshata Arvind Zambare-Nimhan, is absconding and police are searching for her. She has also filed an anticipatory bail application in court. The investigation is continuing.