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TV reporter booked; 3 other journalists referred to in FIR
A journalist, Rohit Kadam, is accused of filming a woman without consent in a lodge, prompting police action and condemnation from the journalist community.
A television journalist has been named as an accused in an FIR at Vishrambaug police station for allegedly filming a woman without her consent in a Budhwar Peth lodge. Three other journalists are referred to in the complaint but not named in the FIR summary.
Police identified the accused as Rohit Kadam. The complaint alleges Kadam and three others were involved in the incident, though the latter are not individually named.
The case relates to an incident on April 8 at Ajay Lodge in Budhwar Peth, where the accused had checked into rooms 32A and 32B. Around 1 pm, Kadam and the others allegedly conspired to record a video of a woman changing clothes in an adjoining room, claiming they were conducting a “sting operation.”
The incident came to light when the woman noticed she was being filmed and raised an alarm. She later approached the Vishrambaug police, and a case was registered late on Friday night under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Section 77 (capturing images of a woman where she has a reasonable expectation of privacy) and Section 3(5).
According to the FIR, when the woman realised what was happening, she knocked on the adjoining room where Kadam was staying, but he allegedly gave evasive responses. The lodge manager later intervened, during which Kadam reportedly said four journalists had come to conduct a sting operation.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Rupali Patil Thombare has also filed a complaint, alleging the incident was part of a larger conspiracy to defame her. Addressing a press conference on Friday, she claimed the journalists had taken a ₹25 lakh contract from rival political leaders and had earlier published reports targeting her.
“Not all journalists are bad. Just like in politics, there are bad people, even among journalists. But actually, journalism shouldn’t have any bad people,” Patil-Thombare said.
The Pune Union of Working Journalists (PUWJ) on Saturday condemned the incident and sought strict action. The association has written to Pune police commissioner Amitesh Kumar, and its representatives met deputy commissioner of police (Zone I) Krishikesh Rawale, stating such conduct undermines the profession’s credibility.
The PUWJ said the incident has tarnished the image of journalists and made it clear it will not support any of the accused. This comes amid social media claims alleging attempts to influence the police in the matter.
