Payal Zambre Patil’s in-laws allegedly persistently demanded 10 tolas of gold after her marriage
Husband arrested, police probe allegations
PUNE: Payal Zambre Patil’s in-laws allegedly demanded 10 tolas of gold every Diwali after her marriage, her uncle has claimed, alleging that the repeated demands led to harassment of the 29-year-old woman who was found hanging in a flat in Pune’s Mukund Nagar on Monday. She had faced demands for gold since her marriage, with her in-laws allegedly asking for 10 tolas every Diwali, according to Payal’s uncle. The incident came to light around 11.30am.
Her father-in-law owns a marriage hall and an eatery on Pune-Satara Road, police said. (With agency inputs) You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Pune | Silver Rate in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune | Petrol Price in Pune | Diesel Price in Pune | CNG Price in Pune | LPG Price in Pune Stay updated with the latest Pune news.
Police said no suicide note was found. Senior inspector Yashwant Nikam said Akshay had been arrested and two police teams had been formed to trace the remaining accused. Her family has accused her husband and in-laws of subjecting her to harassment over repeated demands for gold. Police have registered a case of harassment and abetment of suicide against four members of her in-laws’ family and arrested her husband. Swargate police registered a case of harassment and abetment of suicide against four people, including Payal’s husband and mother-in-law. police have registered a case of abetment of suicide While Payal’s family has alleged that she was murdered and her death staged as suicide. The circumstances surrounding her death are being investigated. Following her death, relatives from Payal’s parental family allegedly vandalised her in-laws’ residence, office and marriage hall, triggering tension in the area. Download the TOI App.
Police said she had an argument with her mother-in-law on Sunday and left her matrimonial home. Payal’s brother, Rishikesh Pawar, alleged that her husband and in-laws appeared unconcerned when he reached their home on Monday morning.
Her family’s complaint also accused her husband and in-laws of mentally harassing her during her pregnancy in 2022 by pressuring her to give birth to a boy. Because of a drought-like situation and had sought more time to provide the gold, her uncle said the family could not meet the demand this year.
“This year too, they demanded gold, but we told them that we were farmers and, given the drought-like situation, it was not possible for us to meet the demand. The in-laws returned within five minutes and informed them that Payal was in a nearby apartment, according to Pawar. We had even promised to give the gold next year,” he alleged. Payal, an IT professional who had quit her job, was married to Akshay Zambre Patil and the couple had a three-year-old daughter. She was eventually found hanging from a ceiling fan in another flat in an apartment complex near their residence. He claimed they began searching for her only after the family questioned them. He alleged that the flat’s door was locked from inside and he entered through the rear balcony, where he found his sister hanging.
Her family and in-laws began searching for her on Monday morning.
Pawar also said Payal had repeatedly complained about harassment by her mother-in-law. Recalling the argument on Sunday, he said he had called Akshay and told him that the dispute was temporary and could be resolved.
After Payal delivered a girl on March 30, 2023, her in-laws allegedly argued with her at the hospital and said they would not take responsibility for either her or the child, the complaint stated. On Monday morning, Payal allegedly sent messages to some people stating that her mother-in-law would be responsible if anything happened to her.