Tourists Assaulted over Attire at Sinhagad Fort; Pune Rural Police Book Eight Members of Right-Wing Group
PUNE: The Pune Rural Police have registered a criminal case against eight members of a right-wing organization, including three women, after four separate groups of tourists were allegedly confronted and physically assaulted over their choice of attire at the historic Sinhagad Fort. The incident occurred on August 16 between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. during a peak monsoon weekend influx.
The accused, identified as members of the Samast Hindu Bandhav Army, reportedly targeted visitors wearing shorts and sleeveless clothing, invoking cultural norms before resorting to physical violence. The incident has sparked online debate regarding moral policing and public safety at historic monuments.
Sequence of Events and Details of the Assault
According to the official First Information Report (FIR) lodged at the Haveli Police Station by a 39-year-old corporate manager from Dhayari, the confrontation began near the memorial of Tanaji Malusare, a military commander under Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj:
- A group of seven to eight individuals stopped the complainant, his family, and friends, objecting to them and an eight-year-old child wearing shorts and taking photographs near the site.
- The accused aggressively questioned the tourists, asking, "Don't you understand Hindu culture?" The confrontation escalated as three men slapped the complainant while a female suspect dragged his wife.
- Further investigation revealed that the same outfit had targeted three other independent visitor groups across the fort premises, hitting some individuals with plastic rods.
- The victims reported the matter to police personnel stationed at the foothill parking area, who subsequently directed them to Haveli Police Station for formal statement recording.
Statutory Provisions and Police Action
Following individual complaints, the Pune Rural Police initiated legal proceedings under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS):
- Charges have been invoked for voluntarily causing hurt (Section 115), voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means (Section 118), unlawful assembly (Section 189), rioting (Section 191), and criminal intimidation (Section 351).
- The police named eight suspects in the FIR, identified as Sanket Sanjay Patil, Ashish Dilip Apar, Revan Narayan Kokte, Sayali Sujit Chavan, Ketaki Suraj Jadhav, Amar Ramchandra Shirke, Kunal Kisan Nalawade, and Arya Praveen Kawade.
- Inspector Rajesh Ramaghare confirmed that teams have been deployed to trace the suspects, while formal notices under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) have been served.
In the wake of the assault and viral videos capturing the brawl, the Forest Department and local authorities announced administrative adjustments to ensure visitor security at Sinhagad Fort:
Forest department officials confirmed plans to enforce strict carrying-capacity limits once visitor numbers reach peak thresholds during weekends.
Security personnel deployment will be increased at high-footfall memorial points, supported by an upcoming app-based registration and crowd-monitoring system.
"Article 21 guarantees personal liberty and freedom of movement across public heritage sites. Unlawful enforcement of dress codes by self-appointed vigilantes constitutes a direct breach of public order," noted legal commentators in Pune.
Police investigations remain ongoing as authorities continue efforts to apprehend the remaining suspects.
The names of the 8-accused are:
- Sanket Sanjay Patil
- Ashish Dilip Bhujbal
- Resham Narayan Kawale
- Sakshi Sujit Chavan
- Kevin Suraj Jadhav
- Amar Ramchandra Shinde
- Kunal Kisan Nalawade
- Aashay Pravin Kawale