Pune: Legal Custody Of Vaishnavi Hagawane's 9-Month-Old Son Granted To Her Mother Swati Kaspate — Key Updates In The Case

Maharashtra Minister for Women and Child Development, Aditi Tatkare, on Friday informed that the legal custody of Vaishnavi Hagawane's nine-month-old son, Janak Hagawane, has been granted to her mother, Swati Kaspate.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Tatkare wrote, “Following the demise of Vaishnavi Hagawane from Pune, the Child Welfare Committee has appointed her mother, Swati Kaspate, as the fit person to take care of her nine-month-old son, Janak Hagawane. According to the social investigation report submitted by the District Child Protection Officer, Swati is deemed the appropriate person, and her social, emotional, and family environment is conducive to the child’s welfare."

पुण्यातील स्व. वैष्णवी हगवणे यांच्या मृत्यूपश्चात त्यांचा 9 महिन्यांचा मुलगा जनक हगवणे याचा सांभाळ करण्यासाठी बाल कल्याण समितीने त्याच्या आजी व स्व. वैष्णवी हगवणे यांच्या आई श्रीमती स्वाती आनंद कस्पटे यांना योग्य व्यक्ती ( Fit Person) म्हणून नियुक्त केले आहे. याबाबत जिल्हा बाल…

— Aditi S Tatkare (@iAditiTatkare) May 30, 2025

"Henceforth, the legal custody of Vaishnavi's son will be with Swati. She will be fully responsible for the education, health, and overall development of the child," the minister added.

Nilesh Chavan held from Nepal border

Nilesh Chavan, who is accused of threatening Vaishnavi's parents with a gun when they went to his house to take custody of her child, was on Friday held at the Nepal border.

Pimpri-Chinchwad, Maharashtra: Nilesh Chavan was caught by Pimpri Chinchwad Police at the Nepal border in connection with the ongoing investigation into Vaishnavi Hagawane’s dowry death case. He was brought late Saturday night to Bavdhan Police Station in Pune for investigation… pic.twitter.com/wrYLYgoYfB

— IANS (@ians_india) May 31, 2025

"When Vaishnavi's parents and others went to his house to take custody of the child, he threatened them with a gun. He was booked at the time at the Warje Police Station for showing a gun. A case under the Juvenile Justice Act was registered at Bavdhan Police Station against him for not taking proper care of the child," an official said.

"He was on the run since. We have now held Chavan from the Nepal border. He was planning to escape. He is being brought back to Pune," the official added.

Chavan is a business associate of Vaishnavi's husband, Shashank.

Jalindar Supekar shifted to Home Guards

Special Inspector General of Police Jalindar Supekar, whose name had cropped up in the Vaishnavi Hagawane dowry harassment-suicide case, was on Friday transferred from the Prisons Department to the Home Guards as Deputy Commandant General.

The transfer comes a day after the state government relieved him of additional responsibilities as Deputy Inspector General of Prisons of Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and Nagpur divisions.

जालिंदर सुपेकरांना आरोपींना मदत केल्याची तक्रार आली असून त्याची शहानिशा सुरू आहे. तपासावर परिणाम अथवा दबाव येवू नये यासाठी काही निर्णय घेतले आहेत. #DevendraFadnavis #MaharashtraCM #CMDevendraFadnavis pic.twitter.com/C2NzOLYCUF

— I Support Devendra (@DevendraForCM) May 31, 2025

Additionally, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had asked the ADG Prisons to probe allegations that Supekar was trying to shield the accused in the dowry harassment and suicide case.

Supekar is Shashank's uncle.

'Women's panel did its job'

Rupali Chakankar, head of the Maharashtra Commission for Women, on Friday claimed the panel did its job in the case, but there were lapses on the police's part.

Opposition parties have been demanding her resignation for alleged "inaction" after it came to light that the police did not conduct a proper probe when the other daughter-in-law of the Hagawane family, Mayuri, had complained of harassment in the past.

"Anyone's resignation can be demanded. Resignations of the prime minister, home minister, and chief minister are also demanded. In a democracy, it is the Opposition's job to demand resignation," Chakankar told reporters.

"The women's commission did its job. It had given instructions to the police for action, but there was a delay in filing the FIR. An inquiry to find out who was responsible for it is going on," she added.

'No one will be spared'

No one responsible for the dowry-linked suicide of Vaishnavi Hagawane would be spared, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Friday.

He said, "The police have done a good job. Nilesh Chavan had fled to Nepal. The police laid a proper trap and arrested him. I had said on the very first day that no matter how many people are involved in this case, no one will be spared. Also, no kind of haste will be tolerated in this matter. We aim to ensure the strictest possible punishment (to culprits)."

When asked about the complaint against Supekar, Fadnavis asserted, "I have already ordered to check the facts in the complaint. We have taken some decisions to ensure nobody can build any pressure (on investigation of the case)."