COEP Hostel Row: Pune Police Book 50-60 NSUI, Youth Congress Workers After ABVP Complaint

Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Shivajinagar, 22nd August 2026: The political controversy surrounding Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Chhatro Ki Goonj’ programme has intensified after Shivajinagar police registered a case against seven named individuals and 50 to 60 workers of the NSUI and Youth Congress following an alleged assault at the COEP hostel in Pune.

The case was registered on August 22 at 5:13 am at Shivajinagar Police Station under Crime Registration No. 230/2026. Police have invoked Sections 115(3), 189(2), 189(3), 190(2), 351(2) and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Sections 37(3) and 135 of the Maharashtra Police Act.

The accused named in the case are Pushkar Aavnave, Bhushan Ranbhire, Akshay Jain, Saurabh Amrale, Sagar Dhadve and Prathamesh Aavnave, along with 50 to 60 NSUI and Youth Congress workers who were allegedly present with them.

The complainant has been identified as Malhar Nilesh Patil, 21, a student and resident of Aundh, Pune.

What happened at COEP Hostel?

According to the police complaint, the incident took place between 8:30 pm and 11 pm on August 21 at the COEP Hostel in Shivajinagar.

Patil alleged that a video statement was taken from a student after putting pressure on her. He stated that he and colleagues from the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) went to the COEP hostel to inquire into and discuss the matter.

According to the complaint, while they were at the hostel, the named accused and 50 to 60 NSUI and Youth Congress workers allegedly abused and assaulted him.

Based on the complaint, Shivajinagar police registered the case under the sections mentioned above. Police records state that electronic evidence is available in connection with the case.

Political row ahead of Rahul Gandhi’s Pune programme
The incident comes amid a political dispute over alleged pressure on COEP students in connection with Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Chhatro Ki Goonj’ programme.

Congress has alleged that some students who created social media reels supporting the programme were pressured by ABVP and right-wing activists not to attend the event. Congress leaders have also alleged that a female student was pressured into recording a video statement.

The latest police case, however, has been registered based on the complaint filed by Patil, who alleged that he was abused and assaulted when he went to the hostel with ABVP colleagues to inquire about the student’s video statement.

Congress leaders have strongly criticised the alleged actions against students, while ABVP has raised allegations of assault against its members.

Congress alleges students were threatened
Congress has strongly reacted to the incident, alleging that students at the COEP hostel were assaulted and that female students were confined to their rooms.

The party said no one has the right to threaten female students merely for putting up a social media status supporting Rahul Gandhi.

Prashant Jagtap, Pune city Congress’ East Division president, demanded that police take immediate action against those allegedly attempting to create a disturbance during Rahul Gandhi’s programme. He also warned that Congress would respond in its own way if such alleged disruptive activities continued.

Congress leader Vishwajeet Kadam also criticised the government over the incident. He alleged that the BJP was resorting to such tactics because it was apprehensive about the large turnout expected at the programme.

Harshvardhan Sapkal questions ABVP’s role
Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal also reacted to the incident in a social media post, calling the alleged assault on students and confinement of female students in hostel rooms serious and objectionable.

Sapkal questioned who had given ABVP the right to threaten female students or interfere with their freedom merely because they had posted a status supporting Rahul Gandhi.

He alleged that resorting to assault, threats and intimidation instead of engaging in an ideological debate reflected the culture of BJP’s student politics.

Sapkal also questioned whether ABVP had assumed the authority to decide what students in Pune should think or whose social media status they should post. He further questioned whether the government was providing protection to those allegedly involved in the incident.

He said the Congress would not compromise on the freedom of expression of students or the freedom of female students.