Police stated that social media influencer and activist Santosh Pandit was taken into custody from his residence at Narayan Peth Pune, a midnight hours of Thursday for allegedly making derogatory remarks about Maharashtra minister Chandrakant Patil. Pandit has been highlighting civic concerns and sharing videos on social media.
The detention came a day after Pandit posted video on social media where he showed the footage of BJP workers meeting at Pune with parking lot of the premises occupied by luxury cars.
He confronted the role of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Gopichand Padalkar owing a land cruiser with no official designated post under BJP government and for allegedly not having the mandatory high-security registration plate on his vehicle.
The incident was captured on video and shared across social media platforms. Subsequently, an audio recording allegedly featuring Padalkar’s associates verbally abusing Pandit emerged online.
In March, a woman filed a complaint accusing Pandit of allegedly abusing her, making objectionable comments about her attire, filming her without her consent, and behaving in a sexually inappropriate and intimidating manner during the coverage of a protest.
On August 30, BJP leader Sunil Pandey filed a complaint against Pandit for his comments about Patil.
Pandit released a video showing his detention and alleged that police treat activists unfairly. In the video, Pandit is seen handing over his keys to an associate and his mobile phone to police before being taken into custody.
Pandit urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to pay attention to the way the police handled an activist. “If the police can come to my house at 1 a.m. and take me away, what can an ordinary citizen expect? Is this how the administration intends to treat people who ask questions?” Pandit said in the video.
Runal Mulla, a police officer, said Pandit was taken into custody over his remarks against Patil as per the First Information Report Pandey lodged. “He will be arrested soon as the process is underway,” Mulla said.
On August 30, police filed a case against two individuals, including Pandit, following a complaint by Pandey. According to the police, a video shared by Pandit on the social media account “Rajkaran Express” contained derogatory, abusive, and allegedly defamatory comments about Patil.
He was charged under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Sections 356, 296, and 3(5), which pertain to criminal defamation, public obscenity, and joint criminal liability (common intention).