Pune: Four tourists assaulted at Sinhagad Fort over clothing; eight named in FIR

Pune, Maharashtra — Four tourists, including a woman, were allegedly assaulted at Sinhagad Fort on Sunday afternoon after members of a Hindutva group objected to their clothing, Pune Rural Police and media reports said on Tuesday. Police have registered a case against eight persons and launched searches to arrest the accused, officials said.

Incident reported after visitors left the fort

The first information report (FIR) was filed by a 39-year-old senior manager from Dhayari, who, according to The Indian Express, had visited the fort with family and friends. The complainant alleged that while returning from the memorial of Tanaji Malusare, he and his group were confronted by members of the Samast Hindu Bandhav Army between about 2 pm and 5 pm.

The complainant told police the group objected to the visitors wearing shorts and sleeveless clothes and told them to leave the fort. He alleged three men slapped him and a woman from the group dragged his wife. After leaving Sinhagad, the complainant reported the incident to Haveli police station and learned that tourists from three other groups had also lodged complaints of assault, The Indian Express reported.

“Don’t you understand Hindu culture?”

The complainant said the assailants shouted words to this effect while confronting the visitors, a phrase that has been noted in media reports and on social media coverage of the episode.

Eight named in FIR; charges and search under way

Pune Rural Police have named eight accused in the FIR, The Indian Express reported. Inspector Rajesh Ramaghare told The Times of India that police had launched a search to apprehend the eight persons named in the complaint.

• Names listed by police: 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.
• Alleged offences recorded in the FIR include voluntarily causing hurt, unlawful assembly, rioting and criminal intimidation, according to media reports quoting police.
• Complaints were reportedly filed by visitors from four separate groups who said they were assaulted at different times during the afternoon.

Context and prior tensions at the fort

The incident is the latest in tensions at Sinhagad, a historic hill fort south-west of Pune city that is popular with tourists, trekkers and families. In July, the forest department removed a poster at the fort entrance that declared the fort belonged to Hindus and sought to bar Muslims from entering, The Indian Express reported. The poster had drawn criticism and prompted enforcement action by the department.

Pune Rural Police said they had received multiple complaints after Sunday’s episode and were investigating. Inspector Rajesh Ramaghare was quoted by The Times of India as saying the search to apprehend the eight accused is under way. The arrested persons and any further action will depend on the outcome of police enquiries and court processes.

Local residents and visitors say Sinhagad’s hills and memorials are significant cultural and recreational spaces for people across Pune and the neighbouring talukas. Authorities responsible for the site include the forest department and local police; both have faced calls from citizens for stricter monitoring after repeated incidents that raise safety and communal concerns.

As investigations proceed at Haveli police station, officials have not released further details on the medical condition of the complainants or whether more people will be listed as victims. The case continues to draw attention on social media and in Marathi and national media, including BBC News Marathi, which carried on-the-ground reports and a video clip of the aftermath.

Residents and visitors to Sinhagad said they expect clear action from police to ensure the hill fort — a popular weekend destination for Punekars — remains safe and accessible to all irrespective of clothing, community or language.