#BreakingNews: PA to Maharashtra Minister Arrested for Abetment of Wife’s Suicide; Family Alleges Murder
Maharashtra minister Pankaja Munde’s PA held for abetting dentist wife’s death.
In a case that has sent shockwaves through political and medical circles in Mumbai, Anant Garje, the personal assistant to senior Maharashtra minister and BJP national secretary Pankaja Munde, was arrested by Worli police in the early hours of Monday on charges of abetting the suicide of his 28-year-old wife, Dr Gauri Palve, a practising dentist at the prestigious KEM Hospital.
Dr Gauri Palve was found hanging from a ceiling fan in the couple’s high-rise apartment in Worli on Saturday evening. Initial investigations pointed to a domestic dispute that escalated fatally. Following a formal complaint filed by her father, Dr Shankar Palve, the Worli police registered an FIR under Section 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code read with Section 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) against Anant Garje and two of his close relatives who allegedly aided the harassment.
The marriage, solemnised in February this year in an arranged ceremony, had reportedly turned sour within months. The complainant alleged systematic mental and emotional torture, frequent quarrels over Garje’s extramarital affair, and threats that left Dr Palve in extreme distress. Sources close to the family claim she had confided in relatives about being pushed to the brink, with the final argument on Saturday reportedly becoming the trigger for the tragic incident.
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Rejecting the suicide narrative outright, Dr Palve’s uncle and other family members have demanded an in-camera postmortem to preserve evidence and rule out foul play, openly alleging that the death could be a carefully staged murder. They have approached senior authorities seeking transfer of the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation, citing the political influence of the accused and the need for an impartial inquiry.
Anant Garje was produced before the metropolitan magistrate court on Monday afternoon, where the prosecution sought extended police custody to, arguing that his position as personal assistant to a powerful cabinet minister could influence witnesses. As the investigation gathers pace, the case has cast an uncomfortable spotlight on the private lives of those in the corridors of power in Maharashtra.
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