Pune: Social media influencer Santosh Pandit was arrested from his residence in Pune during the early hours of Thursday in connection with a case of posting obscene and sexually suggestive content targeting Maharashtra Minister Chandrakant Patil and Pune Municipal Corporation corporator Mitali Kuldeep Salvekar.
Pune Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 3), Sagar Kawade, told media that a case has been registered by Kothrud police against Pandit and he has been arrested in connection with the case.
The case was registered at around 1.28 a.m. Thursday on a complaint filed by Sarika Ram Kamble, 36, a resident of Kothrud.
According to the complaint, Pandit allegedly uploaded objectionable posts and videos on his YouTube account, ‘@SantoshPandit6278’, targeting Chandrakant Patil and Mitali Salvekar.
One of the videos allegedly contained a remark that if Chandrakant Patil and Salvekar did not answer certain questions within two days, he would “parade” them. The complainant said the video had been viewed by around 4.53 lakh people.
In another video, Pandit allegedly used an obscene and sexually suggestive remark while referring to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. According to the complaint, the post and video had received more than 12 lakh views.
The complainant further alleged that Pandit had circulated several posts and videos targeting Chandrakant Patil, using obscene language and gestures and making defamatory allegations against the minister.
The complaint also alleged that such content was circulated with the intention of attracting publicity, causing insult and creating misunderstanding and tension among people.
Kothrud police have registered the case under Sections 75(1)(iv), 75(3), 356(2) and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
This is the second case registered against Pandit over alleged objectionable remarks concerning Chandrakant Dada Patil. An earlier case was registered at Deccan police station in connection with alleged offensive remarks against the minister.
Police have taken Pandit into custody, and further investigation is underway.
