“Such an environment of FIRs against journalists is wrong for them and not just them but for the country. It is harmful,” says ABP Majha journalist Mandar Gonjari.

The journalist in Pune has been named in an FIR after a dispute over a single student’s scholarship grievance escalated into a campus clash between rival student groups and a legal case against him. Both the FIR and the journalist now offer opposing accounts of who pressured that student to change her story.

Gonjari had on August 20 interviewed students at the College of Engineering Pune Technological University about their plans to attend Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s “Chhatron Ki Goonj” programme on August 22. Among them was Sampada Pramod Bade, a student admitted under the orphan quota, who told him she hadn’t received her scholarship for three years and was wrongly charged fees under the general category. After Gonjari’s report aired, Congress’s media cell used a clip from it to counter a claim by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis – he had said that students attending were from institutes run by Congress leaders. 

Gonjari alleges that once this happened, ABVP activists pressured Bade to publicly retract her comments, to say he had forced the interview and that her scholarship complaint wasn’t genuine. In a video released by Bade after the ABP Majha report, the student said, “We were actually manipulated and pressure was created due to which I said it… This was wrong. So I apologise to the college.” In another video posted by BJP, Bade said, “Please free our campus from political activities.”

राहुल गांधी के झूठे और घटिया राजनीतिक एजेंडे पर छात्रा का करारा जवाब! 🛑पहले अपने राजनीतिक फायदे के लिए छात्रा पर दबाव डालकर झूठी बयानबाजी करवाने की कोशिश, और जब इस बहादुर लड़की ने पूरे मामले का पर्दाफाश किया, तो बौखलाहट में कांग्रेस के गुंडों से उसके हॉस्टल पर हमला करवाने का… pic.twitter.com/hzMpGWvGru— BJP (@BJP4India) August 22, 2026

राहुल गांधी के झूठे और घटिया राजनीतिक एजेंडे पर छात्रा का करारा जवाब! 🛑पहले अपने राजनीतिक फायदे के लिए छात्रा पर दबाव डालकर झूठी बयानबाजी करवाने की कोशिश, और जब इस बहादुर लड़की ने पूरे मामले का पर्दाफाश किया, तो बौखलाहट में कांग्रेस के गुंडों से उसके हॉस्टल पर हमला करवाने का… pic.twitter.com/hzMpGWvGru

As the controversy over the claim and the counter-claim grew, there was a confrontation on campus between ABVP and NSUI on August 21. And three FIRs were filed. In the first, an ABVP member accused the NSUI and Congress of assaulting ABVP members and pressuring the girl student to make a statement. In the second, the Youth Congress alleged that Bade was locked up in the COEP hostel by the ABVP and Congress workers were assaulted. In the third, the COEP accused the NSUI and Congress of trespassing on premises and posting the defamatory statement by Bade. This third FIR also claimed that Gonjari entered the hostel premises without permission.

Bade’s phone remained switched off. Newslaundry has sent her a questionnaire. This report will be updated if a response is received. 

The Pune Union of Working Journalists has condemned the action against Gonjari and submitted a request to the Commissioner of Police, demanding his removal from the case.

#COEP प्रकरणात @abpmajhatvचे ब्यूरोचीफ मंदार........

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