New Delhi, July 15, 2025—Authorities in India’s western state of Maharashtra must bring all of journalist Sneha Barwe’s attackers to justice and take decisive steps to ensure press members can safely do their jobs, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday.
Barwe, the founder of the Samarth Bharat Pariwar YouTube-based news channel, was brutally beaten July 4 while reporting on claims of illegal construction activity on disputed land in the Manchar region of Maharashtra’s Pune district, according to several news reports. A widely circulated video of the attack, reviewed by CPJ, shows a man striking Barwe with a wooden rod before the journalist loses consciousness. She was hospitalized for three days with serious head and spinal injuries, and is currently recovering at home.
Police arrested five men over two days in connection with the attack who were granted bail and released, Indian Express reported. The suspect wielding the stick has yet to be taken into custody.
“It is unacceptable that journalist Sneha Barwe’s attackers still walk free two weeks after her violent assault. This sends a troubling message that attacking the press will be met with impunity,” said Kunāl Majumder, CPJ’s India representative. “Maharashtra authorities must act decisively to ensure accountability and send a clear signal that violence against journalists will not be tolerated.”
The arrested suspects were accused of violating six sections of the Indian Penal Code, including provisions related to voluntarily causing hurt and causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons, according to Indian media watchdog Free Speech Collective. Three other people were also hurt in the attack with Barwe, who had been targeted on at least two previous occasions in connection with her reporting on local governance issues.
Srikant Kankal, the police officer supervising Barwe’s case, did not respond to CPJ’s texted request for an update on finding the journalist’s main attacker.
In February 2023, journalist Sashikant Warishe was murdered for reporting on a land dispute in Maharashtra.
This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.