Pune: A Pune sessions court on Thursday remanded all three accused in the Payal Zambre death case to judicial custody, following which they were sent to Yerawada Central Jail. Meanwhile, Swargate police have recovered all 50 tolas of gold allegedly given to the Zambre family as dowry at the time of Payal’s marriage. The search for the fourth accused, her absconding sister-in-law, is still underway.
Three Accused Sent To Judicial Custody
The accused have been identified as Payal’s husband, Akshay Arvind Zambre, father-in-law Arvind Vasantrao Zambre and mother-in-law Mangal Arvind Zambre. All three were arrested in connection with the case and produced before the Pune District and Sessions Court on Thursday. After hearing the matter, the court ordered their judicial remand.
Yashwant Nikam, Senior Police Inspector of Swargate Police Station, told The Free Press Journal that investigators had recovered the entire 50 tolas of gold given to the Zambre family at the time of the marriage.
Police Recover Remaining Dowry Gold
Police had earlier sought an extension of the trio’s police custody, citing the need to recover the remaining 15 tolas of gold, seize the mother-in-law’s mobile phone allegedly used in connection with dowry demands and trace the absconding sister-in-law. The court had granted the extension, observing that further interrogation was necessary to recover the remaining valuables and take the investigation to its logical conclusion.
Meanwhile, police are yet to trace the fourth accused. According to Nikam, investigators have traced her last known location to her residence and are making efforts to locate and arrest her.
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Dowry Harassment Allegations Under Investigation
The case was registered at Swargate Police Station following allegations that Payal was subjected to physical and mental harassment by her husband and in-laws over dowry demands, which allegedly drove her to die by suicide.
The investigation is continuing, with police focusing on tracing the absconding accused and examining evidence, including chat history and call details, to establish the alleged dowry demands and harassment.
