Pune: A case has been registered against a group of unruly youths who forced a New Zealand tourist to utter abusive words in Marathi during his visit to the historic Sinhagad Fort near Pune. The incident, which was captured in a vlog by the tourist, has gone viral on social media, sparking outrage among history enthusiasts, locals, and Shivaji admirers.

The tourist, named Luke, runs a YouTube channel called “Luke the Explorer” and had uploaded a video titled “This Fort in India is Insane” on April 6. The hour-long vlog shows his experience climbing the fort and interacting with locals. During the video, a group of youths confronted him and encouraged him to repeat obscene words in Marathi. The group claimed they were from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and can be seen in the video provoking Luke to mimic their abusive language.

After the video clip circulated widely on social media, netizens, social activists, history lovers, volunteers, and political workers strongly condemned the act and demanded action. Many expressed that forcing a foreign tourist to use vulgar language at a historic site was disrespectful and damaging to the region’s image.

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Responding to public outrage, the Pune Rural Police registered an FIR at Haveli Police Station. Police Inspector Sachin Wangde confirmed that cases have been filed against the accused under sections 49 (intentional insult to religious sentiments), 302 (intentional hurting of religious feelings), and 351 (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (new Indian Penal Code). The investigation is currently underway.

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