Pune: A trainee Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) posted at Sahakarnagar police station has been booked for allegedly harassing his wife physically and mentally over dowry, including demands for ₹40 lakh, a flat and a four-wheeler. The woman has also accused her husband and a relative of threatening and humiliating her.
The suspects have been identified as Rahul Sheshrao Rathod, 29, a resident of Mohannagar in Dhankawadi and a native of Beed district, and Raju Pawar, a relative residing in Beed. The case was registered following a complaint by Rathod's 31-year-old wife.
According to the police, the couple met between 2022 and 2023 while preparing for Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) examinations at a study centre in Shaniwar Peth. Their friendship developed into a relationship, and both families initially agreed to their marriage.
The complainant alleged that she supported Rathod financially and emotionally during his preparation for the PSI examination. After he suffered a muscle tear during a physical test, she reportedly paid ₹2.20 lakh for his medical treatment. Rathod was selected for the post on Aug 1, 2024.
However, following his selection, he allegedly began distancing himself from her after relatives raised objections to her caste. On May 25, 2025, he reportedly told her that their relationship was over and that his family would find another bride, adding that the dowry amount had already been decided.
The woman alleged that Rathod later promised to marry her after she approached the police but demanded ₹25 lakh, subsequently increasing the demand to ₹40 lakh. She also claimed that Pawar repeatedly questioned her about the dowry her family would provide.
Following complaints to the police, the Maharashtra State Commission for Women and the Bharosa Cell, the couple married on Sept 12, 2025, in Alandi with the consent of both families.
The complainant alleged that Rathod continued to avoid her after marriage and did not take her to his family home. Even after they began living together in Dhankawadi in June 2026, he allegedly pressured her to share the rent, deposit and household expenses, demanded a car from her parental family and repeatedly urged her to agree to a divorce.
She further alleged that on Aug 29, he displayed a weapon, abused and assaulted her during an argument over a phone conversation with another woman.
In the latest incident, on Oct 12, Rathod allegedly recorded himself on his mobile phone while leaving for work and loudly accused his wife of assaulting him, humiliating her before neighbours.
Sahakarnagar police have registered a case, and Police Inspector Rajesh Khandwe is investigating.
