Pune: Woman Sends Message Blaming Mother-in-Law Before Dying By Suicide; Husband Arrested

Pune: The Pune police arrested Akshay Zambre on Monday after his wife, Payal Zambre, allegedly died by suicide following years of dowry-related harassment by her husband and in-laws. Police booked four members of her marital family in connection with the case.

Payal married Akshay on March 13, 2019. Her family allegedly spent around ₹75 lakh to ₹80 lakh on the wedding, including 50 tola of gold jewellery, ₹25 lakh in cash and other wedding expenses.

After the marriage, Payal was allegedly harassed by her husband, mother-in-law, father-in-law and sister-in-law, who repeatedly demanded money from her parental family. She was also allegedly abused over household work and denied money for personal expenses.

The harassment reportedly intensified during her pregnancy in 2022. Her in-laws allegedly insisted that she give birth to a boy, citing their family's social standing. After Payal delivered a girl through a Caesarean section, her husband and in-laws allegedly argued with her at the hospital and said they would not take responsibility for either her or the newborn. Her family reportedly paid around ₹2.5 lakh towards hospital and medical expenses.

Payal was allegedly not taken back to her marital home for nearly a year after the birth of her daughter. Following several family meetings, she returned to Pune, but the alleged harassment continued. Her in-laws reportedly threatened her with divorce and asked her to leave the house with her daughter if her parental family could not meet their financial demands.

In August 2026, another family meeting was held, during which her in-laws allegedly agreed to bear the educational and marriage expenses of her daughter, Aadya, and take Payal back to the marital home.

On Nov 1, Payal visited her parental home as her brother, Rishikesh, was going to Baramati to meet a prospective bride. Her family members said she appeared unusually quiet throughout the day. When questioned, she allegedly broke down and told them that her mother-in-law frequently abused and assaulted her, while her father-in-law verbally abused her when he was drunk.

Payal also reportedly told her brother that her in-laws had demanded five tola of gold for Diwali. Despite her brother asking her to stay at her parental home for a few days, she returned to Pune that evening, saying she needed to bring her daughter home after school the following day.

At around 9.18 pm, Payal sent a message to her family stating, "My mother-in-law is responsible." When her family tried to contact her, her husband allegedly told them that he and his mother were having an argument with Payal and warned them not to interfere.

The following morning, after failing to reach Payal, her family travelled to Pune. When they arrived at the residence, her in-laws allegedly said they did not know where she was. Her husband reportedly suggested that she might be in the neighbouring flat.

Payal's family members entered the flat after breaking a glass panel of the rear balcony door. They found her hanging from a rope in the kitchen. Her brother and other relatives attempted to rescue her, but she was unresponsive. Her husband allegedly left the premises while the family was trying to save her.

Following the incident, Payal's relatives allegedly pelted stones at Zambre Palace, leading to tension in the area. Swargate police intervened and brought the situation under control.

Based on a complaint filed by Payal's brother Rishikesh Pawar, police registered a case against four people under Sections 108, 85, 3(5) and 351 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961.