Mumbai police arrest Maharashtra Environment Minister Pankaja Munde’s PA after wife dies by suicide, await autopsy report

“We have arrested Garje and will be producing him before the court later in the day, and seeking his custody,” a police officer said.

The officer said they are awaiting the postmortem report of Dr Gauri Palve, 28, to confirm if she died by suicide, and rule out any foul play. The report is expected later in the day, he added.

The police have said Palve, a dentist with KEM Hospital, was alone at home when she allegedly died by suicide.

In the FIR, her father alleged that Gauri was subjected to mental harassment after the marriage, and the couple quarrelled frequently. He said Gauri sent him several photographs on WhatsApp on October 3, which indicated that Garje was in a relationship with another woman.

He said when Gauri confronted Garje, he threatened her saying he would die suicide, and blame her for his death. She alleged that Garje’s brother-in-law and his wife knew about this relationship, and threatened her that if she left him, they would get him married again.

Gauri’s parents said when they recently visited the Worli residence of their daughter, they saw some injury marks on her body. They said she refused to talk about the marks.

Her father said he missed two calls from her last Friday, and when he called her back later, she told him everything was fine. He said they received a call from Garje on Saturday evening, who told them that their daughter had died by suicide. The family rushed to Mumbai after receiving the phone call.

She was declared dead at the Nair Hospital.

The Worli police have registered a case, based on the father’s complaint, under abetment to suicide, husband/relatives subjecting wife to cruelty, among other sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The family urged the police to investigate whether it was a murder.

Gauri’s uncle alleged that his niece was murdered by Garje and his family members and demanded an in-camera postmortem examination, and an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). He also appealed to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his deputies Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde, seeking a detailed probe.

Meanwhile, Pankaja Munde said the police should investigate the matter and ensure there are no lapses.