By Somya Panwar
A scandalous episode of molestation involving a woman journalist covering a Ganesh immersion procession at Pune’s Budhwar Chowk has outraged the media community.
The journalist, reporting for a news website, registered a First Information Report (FIR) in the dead hours of Sunday night when she was allegedly molested by participants from the Trital Dhol Tasha Pathak. Her fellow journalist, who attempted to intervene, was said to have been slapped in the process.
An official complaint was filed at the Faraskhana police station, a case against two unidentified men has been filed under section 74, 75(1), and 352 under Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The search for the culprits in the area has already begun by the police by checking CCTVs.
The incident garnered political criticism on the safety of women from Maharashtra Legislative Council deputy chairperson Neelam Gorhe and NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, and immediate actions were demanded by the police.
A Pune Union of Working Journalists (PUWJ) delegation on Monday met with Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar, demanding prompt and stringent action. They also complained about repeated instances of indiscipline by Dhol Tasha groups against reporters and photographers, even though journalists were wearing valid press IDs. Even some of them claimed to have been manhandled by police personnel on duty.
Addressing the issues, Commissioner Kumar guaranteed that harsh action will be initiated against the accused. He assured further that a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Dhol Tasha parties during public gatherings will be prepared to make sure that the media persons’ safety and dignity are not compromised.