Pune woman, 30, found dead at Mukund Nagar home; family alleges dowry harassment

Swargate, November 2, 2026: A 30-year-old woman was found dead at her home in Pune's Mukund Nagar on Monday. She has been identified as Payal Akshay Zambre. Her family alleges that her husband and in-laws were harassing her over dowry.

The family says Payal was subjected to physical and mental torment over repeated demands for gold and dowry. These allegations have been made by her parents' side of the family, and police are investigating them.

The incident took place in an older flat in the Akshay Heights society, which falls under the Swargate police station limits. Payal's body was reportedly found hanging from a ceiling fan. She worked at an IT company. She married Akshay Zambre about five years ago, and the couple have a four-year-old daughter.

According to information the family received, Payal had been missing since Sunday night. A cousin's wife reportedly informed Payal's brother of her disappearance, after which her brother Rishikesh learnt of it. Family members rushed to her home, where the full picture emerged.

Swargate police reached the spot on being informed and sent the body to Sassoon General Hospital for post-mortem. A forensic team examined the scene. Police are also going through the society's CCTV footage to establish the sequence of events.

Payal's cousin Janardan Pawar alleged that her in-laws demanded five to ten tolas of gold every year at Diwali. According to him, this year her family said they would not be able to meet the demand and asked that it be deferred to next year.

Pawar alleges that pressure on Payal was nevertheless kept up and that she was harassed physically and mentally.

After the incident, Payal's relatives have demanded a thorough investigation and action against those responsible. The family has also questioned the circumstances of her death.

According to available information, Payal's husband and in-laws left the spot after the incident. Police are investigating the allegations made by her family.

Payal is survived by her four-year-old daughter. Police are probing the case. It is hoped that the post-mortem report and further investigation will clarify the exact circumstances of her death.