2 min readPuneUpdated: Apr 1, 2026 10:16 AM IST
Pune police booked social media content creator Santosh Pandit on charges of sexual harassment of a woman journalist who was covering a protest organised in the city with regards to the cases against self-styled godman Ashok Kumar Kharat.
A First Information Report (FIR) was registered at Parvati police station on Tuesday evening based on a complaint filed by the woman journalist, who works for a television channel in the city. Police booked Pandit under Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita sections 75 (Sexual harassment), 78 (Stalking), 352 (Intentional insult to provoke breach of peace), 351 (Criminal intimidation) and 196 (obscene acts).
The protest, held on Tuesday afternoon, was organised by social activist Sangeet Tiwari and being held near Grahak Peth on Tilak Road. A number of media reporters were at the spot covering the protest. Pandit, who came to the location, started using obscene language and hurling abuses as he accused the journalists of causing a traffic jam on the road.
Pandit then passed obscene comments about the way the complainant had dressed and sexually harassed her, police said. He also started filming the complainant without her consent. He also threatened and charged at women protesters.
Senior Inspector Rajendra Sahane, in-charge of Parvati police station, confirmed that the case had been registered against Pandit and that a probe had been launched. Pandit, who has a large number of followers on Instagram and YouTube, creates content related to civic and social issues.
