Pune Activist Santosh Pandit Detained Over Remarks Against Maharashtra Minister Chandrakant Patil
· India · Hindustan Times, India Today
Social media influencer and activist Santosh Pandit was detained from his Pune residence in the early hours of Thursday for allegedly using derogatory language against Maharashtra minister Chandrakant Patil. Police officer Runal Mulla said Pandit was being held over remarks made on his account 'Rajkaran Express', with an FIR lodged by BJP leader Sunil Pandey on August 30. The case was registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 356, 296, and 3(5) covering criminal defamation, public obscenity and joint criminal liability. The detention came a day after Pandit confronted BJP leader Gopichand Padalkar over a missing high-security registration plate, a confrontation that was filmed and circulated online. In a video of his detention, Pandit asked CM Devendra Fadnavis to take note of police conduct, saying activists were being unfairly treated.
Why it matters
The case tests the balance between political leaders' right to reputation and activists' freedom to criticise, while reigniting debate over late-night police action against civic voices in Maharashtra.
Read the original report — Hindustan Times
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