Pune Police have registered a case against over 100 individuals who staged a protest at the Swargate Police Station and the office of the Senior Police Inspector.
The protestors were demanding legal action against those who allegedly prevented a Ganesh immersion procession from passing in front of a mosque and forced the loudspeakers to be turned off.
Senior Police Inspector Dilip Magansheth Fulpagare filed the formal complaint, which names eight specific individuals—Abhay Sonawane, Rahul Khude, Hemant Gaikwad, Mangesh Pawar, Akshay Dawre, Bapu Khude, Ujwala Gaud, and Ganesh Sherla—along with 100 to 125 others.
The protest took place on the night of September 20, from 9 PM to midnight.
The incident stems from a situation that arose during a Ganesh immersion procession earlier that day. Some individuals had stopped the procession from passing in front of a mosque and forced the loudspeakers to be turned off, leading to communal tension in the area.
In response, the protestors gathered at the police station, demanding that a case be filed against those involved in blocking the procession. According to police reports, the protestors made inflammatory statements that could incite religious tensions between communities.
They also obstructed police officers from performing their duties, using intimidation tactics to provoke the crowd.
In addition, private vehicles were parked inside the police station premises, blocking official police vehicles and causing disruption. The protestors violated a government order prohibiting large gatherings, prompting police to take legal action.
The case is now under investigation, led by Assistant Police Inspector Changdev Sajgane.
