Two Tritaal Dhol-Tasha Members Arrested for Harassing Punekar News Journalists During Ganesh Visarjan in Pune
Pune, 9th September 2025: In a serious incident that has raised questions over the safety of journalists covering public festivals, Pune Police have arrested two members of a dhol-tasha troupe for allegedly harassing two intern reporters of Punekar News during the Ganesh immersion procession near Budhwar Chowk on Saturday evening.
The arrested accused have been identified as Anoj Baban Navgire (34), a resident of Mangalwar Peth, and Chirag Naresh Kirad (24), a resident of Camp. According to police, one of the accused works with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) while the other is unemployed. Both were taken into custody around 11 pm on Monday and produced before a judicial magistrate on Tuesday afternoon.
Courtroom Drama as Pathak Members Turn Up in Large Numbers
The hearing, presided over by Judicial Magistrate (First Class) A.A. Pandey at the District Court in Shivajinagar, saw a packed courtroom with dhol pathak members, their families, lawyers, and journalists in attendance.
According to the police remand report, the complainant identified the accused after being shown CCTV footage at the Faraskhana police station control room. Their identities were confirmed by Manoj Navgire, president of Tritaal Dhol-Tasha Pathak, police told the court.
Police Sub-Inspector Poonam Patil, through Public Prosecutor Amar Nanaware, sought two days’ police custody. The prosecution argued that custodial interrogation was necessary to collect more CCTV footage, identify additional witnesses, establish whether the accused acted intentionally, and probe if they had committed similar offences in the past.
Defence Downplays Incident, Challenges Victim’s Credentials
Defence lawyer Adv. Pratap Pardeshi, assisted by two other lawyers, countered the prosecution, claiming the act was not deliberate.
“It (pushing by putting hand on chest of woman reporter) was not intentional. It happened while she came for recording in between when they (accused) were playing drums. There is so much crowd that even the Police Commissioner is also pushed. I am a trustee of Dagdusheth Ganpati Temple trust, but in such crowds nobody recognises you. My pant got torn in the visarjan crowd. Also, the FIR was registered a day after, not on the same day,” Pardeshi argued.
In an attempt to undermine the complainant’s credibility, Pardeshi further stated: “I oversee elections of the Pune Union of Working Journalists (PUWJ), but in the list of 381 members I do not find her name as a journalist. She works for a web portal. However, PUWJ pressurised police by meeting the Police Commissioner and only then was the FIR registered.”
At this point, the magistrate reminded the defence lawyer to restrict his arguments to the facts of the case rather than irrelevant matters.
After hearing both sides, the court remanded the accused to Magisterial Custody Remand (MCR). They have since been lodged at Yerwada Central Jail until a decision is made on their bail plea in the next few days.
Incident Near Dagdusheth Ganpati Temple
As per the FIR filed at Faraskhana Police Station (Crime Register No. 173/2025), the incident occurred between 7:30 pm and 7:35 pm on September 6 near the iconic Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Temple.
The complainant, a 20-year-old journalism and mass communication student, was accompanied by a colleague. She alleged that a member of Tritaal Dhol-Tasha Pathak deliberately rolled the iron wheel of a trolley over her foot when they were crossing Budhwar Chowk.
When she confronted him, he allegedly pushed her, touched her inappropriately, and shoved her back. The reporter said she felt “humiliated” by the act. When her colleague tried to intervene, he too was pushed and slapped, while another troupe member hurled abuses and threatened them.
The complainant immediately approached police on duty, who directed her to dial 112 and report to the police control room. She was then guided to Faraskhana police station, located barely 100 meters away, where she submitted a written complaint within 30 minutes of the incident.
Though the complaint was filed on the same evening, the FIR was formally registered on Sunday night around 11:30 pm after police conducted a preliminary verification of CCTV footage.
Sections Invoked
Police have booked the accused under the following sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS):
Section 74: Assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty
Section 75(1): Sexual harassment
Section 352: Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace
Section 3(5): Other relevant provisions invoked for the offence
The case has sparked outrage among media professionals, with journalists’ bodies extending solidarity to the young reporters and demanding strict action to ensure such incidents are not repeated during major public events.
