Maharashtra Minister's PA Granted Bail: No Direct Role in Wife's Suicide

Maharashtra minister's personal assistant Anant Garje was granted bail after being arrested for allegedly causing his wife's suicide. The court found no evidence of a direct role or intent to drive his dentist wife to take her life. The court emphasized that general matrimonial discord does not equate to legal abetment of suicide.

A court in Mumbai has granted bail to Anant Garje, personal assistant to Maharashtra minister Pankaja Munde, who was arrested following his wife's suicide. The court concluded that no substantial evidence proved Garje's direct involvement or intent to provoke the tragedy.

The case hinged on allegations from Garje's wife, Gauri Palve's family, who accused him of leading her to take her life due to alleged harassment and an extramarital affair. However, the court highlighted a lack of specific intent in his actions, citing that these did not constitute legal abetment.

Judge Rupali Pawar found that Garje's wife's reaction, driven by stressors common in life, appeared disproportionate, rather than a consequence of systematic torture. With the chargesheet already filed, the court decided that further custody was unnecessary and approved Garje's bail.

(With inputs from agencies.)