During Pune’s Ganesh Visarjan procession at Budhwar Chowk, members of a Dhol Tasha Pathak allegedly molested a female reporter and assaulted her male colleague.
The reporters, interns with a local digital media outlet, said police ignored their complaint despite heavy bandobast.
Journalists and citizens condemned the incident, demanding strict police action, as even senior photojournalists were manhandled during the scuffle.
Pune, 8th September 2025: Pune witnessed an unfortunate incident during the Anant Chaturdashi Ganesh Visarjan procession on Saturday evening, when members of a Dhol Tasha Pathak allegedly misbehaved with two young reporters and later clashed with senior photojournalists.
The incident took place around 8 p.m. at Budhwar Chowk, in the heart of the city, as the procession of Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganesh Mandal passed through the crowded area.
The two reporters, both interns with a local digital news platform, were covering the procession when members of Trital Dhol Tasha Pathak allegedly molested the female reporter. When her male colleague tried to intervene, he was pushed to the ground, verbally abused, and his glasses were broken.
The reporters immediately approached police personnel present for crowd control but claimed their concerns were ignored. They later dialed the emergency number 112 and were advised to file a complaint. A formal police complaint has since been lodged.
Meanwhile, senior photojournalists from established media houses also reported being shoved and manhandled by the same Pathak while trying to take pictures of the procession. Witnesses said some Pathak members behaved arrogantly with both journalists and the crowd.
The incident has sparked outrage among journalists and citizens alike. Local press representatives have announced plans to meet Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar to demand strict action. Citizens have condemned the assault, stressing that the safety of reporters is essential, and expressing disappointment that such misconduct occurred during one of Pune’s most auspicious festivals.