Maharashtra minister Pankaja Munde's PA arrested for 'abetting' wife's suicide; in police custody till November 27

Mumbai: A personal assistant of Maharashtra cabinet minister Pankaja Munde was arrested here on Monday on charges of abetting the suicide of his wife, a dentist at a civic hospital, 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, nearly 10 months after their marriage, an official said.

Based on a complaint filed by Palve's father, the Worli police registered an abetment of suicide case against Garje, a personal assistant to Minister Munde, and two of his relatives.

Garje was produced before a magistrate's court, which remanded him to police custody till November 27.

Police sought Garje's custody on the grounds that they were still awaiting the post-mortem report.

The prosecution informed the court that the other accused persons in the case were still absconding.

Garje's lawyer, Mangesh Deshmukh, contended that the accused had voluntarily presented himself at the police station and was fully cooperating in the investigation.

He argued that there was nothing to be seized from him and requested a minimum police custody.

After hearing both sides, the court remanded the accused to police custody till November 27.

According to the police, the couple tied the knot on February 7 this year, and Palve was a dentist at the civic-run KEM Hospital.

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

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

Palve's uncle alleged that she did not commit suicide, but it was a case of murder. He also demanded an in-camera post-mortem and a CBI probe into the case.