The Press Club of India (PCI) has condemned the attack on independent journalist Sneha Barwe in Pune's Manchar. The 27-year-old, who was reporting on land grabbing and illegal construction of tin sheds in Nighotwadi village on July 4, was brutally assaulted with rods, causing serious injuries to her arms, back and head. The video of this attack went viral on social media.
"The PCI is horrified by the brutal daylight assault on journalist Sneha Barwe, founder-editor of Samarth Bharat and the SBP YouTube channel," read the statement. "The PCI is deeply disturbed by this attack on a working journalist, which reflects poorly on the law and order situation in the state. The PCI urges the Maharashtra government and local authorities to strongly condemn the assault. They should signal unequivocally that violence against journalists will not be tolerated and act swiftly to hold Barwe's attackers accountable for their crimes," it added.
Meanwhile, Shrikant Kankar, Senior Police Inspector of Manchar Police Station, said five people were arrested after an FIR was filed. However, he added that the main accused, Pandurang Morde, is yet to be arrested.
"Five people were arrested and later released after they were granted bail. The main accused, Pandurang Morde, was not arrested because he is admitted to the hospital for surgery on his foot,” he said.
Barwe has been working as a journalist for the past eight years. Driven by her passion for reporting, she started her own publication and YouTube channel. Known for her bold journalism, Barwe has courted controversy in the past. In July last year, she filed a police complaint against former Shirur MP Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil, alleging that he threatened her and blamed her reporting for his electoral defeat.
