Pune: The Bombay High Court has granted conditional bail to three accused, including Vaishnavi Hagawane's mother-in-law, Lata Hagawane, and father-in-law, Sushil Hagawane, in the Vaishnavi Hagawane death case.
The third accused, Nilesh Ramchandra Chavan, has also been granted bail in connection with the case registered at Bavdhan police station.
Justice Milind N Jadhav passed the order on November 5, 2026, after considering the individual roles attributed to the applicants, the stage of the investigation and the material available against them. The court observed that, at this stage, there appeared to be insufficient material establishing specific acts by the applicants that could be directly linked to abetting Vaishnavi's suicide.
The three accused have been directed to furnish personal bonds of ₹25,000 each, along with one or two sureties of the same amount. The court has granted them four weeks to arrange the sureties. Until then, they can be released on temporary cash bail of ₹25,000 each.
Strict conditions imposed
The High Court has imposed several conditions while granting relief to the accused. They must report to the investigating officer at Bavdhan police station between 10am and noon on the first Sunday of every month for the next six months.
They have also been directed to cooperate with the trial proceedings and remain present before the court at every hearing unless specifically exempted. The accused cannot seek unnecessary adjournments, and any violation of this condition may prompt the prosecution to seek cancellation of their bail.
Further, they cannot leave Maharashtra without prior permission from the concerned court. They have also been prohibited from influencing witnesses or tampering with evidence.
The accused must keep the investigating officer informed about their current residential addresses and mobile phone numbers, including any subsequent changes.
The court has categorically stated that any breach of the bail conditions could result in cancellation of the relief granted to them.
What is the case?
According to the background recorded in the court order, Vaishnavi got married on April 28, 2023. She died by suicide on May 16, 2025, after allegedly hanging herself. A complaint was lodged on May 17, followed by a supplementary statement on May 19.
Her parents had alleged that Vaishnavi was subjected to physical and mental harassment by her husband and in-laws over dowry demands.
Meanwhile, the complainant's side sought a three-week stay on the implementation of the bail order to enable them to challenge it before the Supreme Court. However, the High Court rejected the request.
The court clarified that its observations were prima facie and limited to deciding the bail applications. The order does not amount to an acquittal, and the observations will not influence the proceedings in the main trial.
