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Social media influencer and activist Santosh Pandit was detained from his residence in Pune in the early hours of Thursday for allegedly using derogatory language against Maharashtra minister Chandrakant Patil, police said. Pandit has been raising civic issues and posting videos on social media.
The detention came a day after Pandit confronted another ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Gopichand Padalkar for allegedly not having the mandatory high-security registration plate on his vehicle.
The confrontation was recorded and circulated on social media. An audio clip purportedly involving Padalkar’s associates abusing Pandit later surfaced online.
In March, a woman filed a complaint accusing Pandit of allegedly abusing her, making objectionable comments about her attire, filming her without her consent, and behaving in a sexually inappropriate and intimidating manner during the coverage of a protest.
Sunil Pandey, a BJP leader, lodged a complaint against Pandit over his remarks against Patil on August 30.
Pandit released a video showing his detention and alleged that police treat activists unfairly. In the video, Pandit is seen handing over his keys to an associate and his mobile phone to police before being taken into custody.
Pandit asked chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to take note of how the police treated an activist. “If the police can knock on my door at 1am and take me away, what should a common man expect? Is this the way the administration wants to treat citizens who raise questions?” Pandit said in the video.
Runal Mulla, a police officer, said Pandit was taken into custody over his remarks against Patil as per the First Information Report Pandey lodged. “He will be arrested soon as the process is underway,” Mulla said.
On August 30, police registered a case against two people, including Pandit, on Pandey’s complaint. Police said a video Pandit posted on the social media account “Rajkaran Express” contained derogatory, abusive, and allegedly defamatory remarks about Patil.
He was booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 356, 296, and 3(5) related to criminal defamation, public obscenity, and joint criminal liability (common intention).
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