In a deeply disturbing incident that has sparked national outrage, Sneha Barve, editor of Samarth Bharat newspaper and the SBP YouTube channel, was viciously attacked on-camera while covering an illegal construction case in Manchar town, Pune district, on July 4, 2025. Barve, a respected journalist, was reporting from the site along with complainant Sudhakar Baburao Kale when a group of men led by Pandurang Morde—a businessman with a criminal record—assaulted them with sticks, plastic canes, and kicks. The attack occurred in broad daylight around 5:30 PM, and a chilling video of the incident has since gone viral, showing Barve screaming for help as she was brutally beaten. Bystanders who attempted to intervene were also attacked, and the violence only ceased after Barve fell unconscious.
Following the assault, Barve was first taken to a local clinic and later shifted to D Y Patil Hospital in Pimpri-Chinchwad due to persistent headaches and severe swelling. While she was unable to give a police statement due to her injuries, a formal FIR was filed by Kale at the Manchar police station, naming 12 accused, including Morde’s sons Prashant and Nilesh. Charges under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita were applied, but journalist groups have strongly criticized the leniency of these charges, which carry maximum punishments of just one to two years. While a few of the accused were arrested, they secured quick bail, allegedly due to the weak charges framed by authorities.
The silence of the Maharashtra government, especially the ruling Mahayuti alliance—comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP—has only deepened the anger among journalist unions and civil rights advocates. Morde, reportedly out on bail in a previous attempted murder case, is believed to have political connections shielding him from strict accountability. As Assistant Police Inspector Badgujar leads the investigation, media bodies are demanding swift action, stronger legal provisions, and public condemnation from state leadership to uphold press freedom and ensure that those who target journalists face serious consequences.
