3 Teams Formed to Track Accused: Ajit Pawar

His daughter-in-law allegedly died by suicide on May 16, after harassment over dowry demands; NCP (SP) leader Sule demands strict action

- HT Correspondent

PUNE: Facing mounting public outrage and intense criticism from within, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday expelled senior leader Rajendra Hagawane and his son Sushil Hagawane after a dowry harassment case involving their family members led to the alleged suicide of the former's daughter-in-law in Pimpri Chinchwad.

While the party's expulsion letter, signed by General Secretary Shivajirao Garje on Wednesday, did not cite specific reasons, the move followed growing pressure after three members of the Hagawane family were arrested and two others, including Rajendra Hagawane, went absconding.

According to NCP, Rajendra was a district-level functionary. The police have formed three teams to arrest him.

The case triggered a sharp response from rival NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) working president and Baramati MP Supriya Sule, who sought judicial inquiry stating the incident had deeply shaken her. "This is not just suicide; there is suspicion of murder. Such a case in a so-called educated family from Mulshi raises serious concerns about where Maharashtra is heading," she said in Mumbai on Thursday.

Sule said she had deliberately skipped a family function at the Hagawanes' house recently.