Pune dowry death case: Why a wedding photo turned embarrassing for Ajit Pawar

Ajit Pawar (File)

A series of criminal cases against NCP leaders has marred the image of the Ajit Pawar-led party. The latest in the series is the charge of abetment of suicide against Pawar's confidant Rajendra Hagawane. Hagawane contested 2004 assembly elections on a NCP ticket and served as the party's tehsil chief in Mulshi. After absconding for over a week, he and his son surrendered in Pune last evening.

A wedding photo has become a cause of embarrassment for Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar. The photo, taken two years ago, shows him handing over the keys of a Fortuner car to Rajendra Hagawane, an NCP leader from Pimpri-Chinchwad, during the wedding of Hagawane’s son Shashank to a woman named Vaishnavi. The car was given as dowry by Vaishnavi’s family. A week ago, Vaishnavi allegedly died by suicide, reportedly harassed over dowry demands. The opposition is now accusing Ajit Pawar of promoting the dowry system by participating in the car key handover.

On May 16, Vaishnavi’s body was found hanging in a room. The Pimpri-Chinchwad police filed a case against Hagawane’s family for abetment of suicide, arresting his wife, son, and daughter. However, Vaishnavi’s family is not satisfied with the police action, claiming that marks on her body suggest she was brutally murdered, not a suicide. They allege that besides the Fortuner car, they gave 51 tolas of gold and a large amount of silver as dowry, but Hagawane’s family demanded ?2 crore for land purchase.

The Women’s Commission has ordered an investigation by the Pimpri-Chinchwad police. Chief Minister Fadnavis announced that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) will probe the case. Ajit Pawar has expelled Rajendra Hagawane from the NCP.

This isn’t the first time that NCP’s image has been dented due to a criminal case against its leader. Previously, Valmiki Karad, a close aide of NCP leader Dhananjay Munde, was arrested in a murder case in Beed, leading to Munde losing his ministerial post. There have been a few other cases as well when the party leaders have been booked for committing serious crimes. In Maharashtra's political corridors it is believed that such incidents could harm Ajit Pawar’s NCP, especially with local body elections approaching.