Daijiworld Media Network - Pune
Pune, Aug 25: Pune Cyber Police have registered a case against 19 people for allegedly circulating offensive, defamatory, obscene and insulting content about Nationalist Congress Party leader Rupali Chakankar on social media.
The case follows a complaint filed by Chakankar, who alleged that several posts and comments targeting her contained false and misleading information and caused her mental harassment and defamation.
According to reports, the case has been registered under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, including Sections 75(1)(4), 78, 79, 353(2), 356(2), 45, 49 and 3(5), along with Section 67(A) of the Information Technology Act, 2000. Police Inspector Swapnali Shinde is conducting the investigation.
The action follows a controversy surrounding Nashik-based Ashok Kharat, who was accused of offences against women. Following the controversy, posts and comments targeting Chakankar began circulating on various social media platforms.
In her complaint, Chakankar stated that she came to know through television and other media reports on March 18, 2026, that Kharat had been arrested in connection with a rape case. She alleged that photographs and videos of her participation in public programmes with Kharat were subsequently used to make unrelated allegations against her.
Chakankar told police that while checking social media on March 20, she came across around 19 allegedly defamatory, obscene and threatening posts on platforms including Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
The people named in connection with the posts include Rupali Patil-Thombre, Sushma Andhare, Sangeeta Tiwari, advocate Ashok Bedre, Ashwini Khade, Mahadev Balgude, Hanumant Galgate, Varsha Kamble, Rajshree Saminder, Ganesh Lokhande, Hema Pingale, Ranjana Deshmukh, Logical Siddhant, Yogesh Sawant, Deepali Sayyed, Dr Asha Mirge and Mohsin Sheikh.
Chakankar has alleged that Milind Maruti Gore, Sapna Nandkishor Raut and others posted obscene, insulting and allegedly sexually offensive comments on some of these posts. She claimed that the posts and comments contained false and misleading information that damaged her reputation.
She also submitted screenshots and other evidence relating to the allegedly defamatory posts and comments to the police.
According to a report by Sarkarnama, the 19 people booked include women leaders, spokespersons, office-bearers and social media functionaries associated with different political parties, including the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP factions.
Police are also likely to question other individuals who posted or circulated content concerning Chakankar in connection with the Ashok Kharat controversy. Consequently, the number of accused in the case could increase as the investigation progresses.