Maharashtra minister Pankaja Munde's PA arrested for 'abetting' wife's suicide

A personal assistant of Maharashtra minister Pankaja Munde was arrested here on Monday on charges of abetment of his wife's suicide, police said.

Dr Gauri Palve (28), wife of accused Anant Garje, allegedly hanged herself in her flat at Worli in central Mumbai on Saturday due to a domestic dispute, an official said.

Based on a complaint filed by Palve's father, the Worli police had registered an abetment of suicide case against Garje, who is minister Munde's PA, and two of his relatives.

The Worli police arrested Garje early Monday morning, the official said, adding that he will be produced in a court later in the day.

The couple tied the knot in February this year, and Palve was working as a dentist in the civic-run KEM Hospital, he said.

Palve's family alleged that she was tortured and harassed by her husband, and this led her to take the extreme step, according to police. They have demanded a thorough investigation into the death.

In their police complaint, Palve's family alleged that Garje had an extra-marital affair, and Palve caught him while chatting with another woman on a mobile phone.

The couple would fight over the issue and Garje allegedly used to threaten his wife, the police said.

Palve's uncle alleged that she did not commit suicide, but it was a case of murder and blamed Garje and his family members for it. He also demanded an in-camera postmortem and a probe into the case by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).