A visit to Pune’s historic Sinhagad Fort turned violent on August 16 after a group of people allegedly confronted tourists over their clothing and assaulted several visitors, including women, children and elderly people.
The incident has sparked row over self-styled moral policing at tourist destinations, where individuals or groups attempt to impose their own standards of acceptable behaviour and dress on visitors.
Following the incident, Pune Police registered a case against nine individuals for allegedly assaulting tourists over their clothes and intimidating visitors for nearly two hours at Sinhagad Fort on August 16.
What happened at Sinhagad Fort?
According to an NDTV report, the confrontation began when a group questioned a family about why their 8-year-old daughter was wearing shorts. The disagreement reportedly escalated, with one person allegedly being assaulted.
The argument soon escalated, with one person allegedly being assaulted, according to the police.
The attackers claimed to be members of the 'Fort Conservation Society'. The alleged members reportedly confronted several visitors, including the minor, after noticing them wearing shorts and accused them of wearing 'inappropriate' clothes.
The confrontation eventually turned violent, with the group allegedly beating up tourists. Women, children and elderly visitors were also reportedly subjected to mistreatment and physical assault.
Eyewitnesses said the incident continued for nearly two hours, leaving tourists frightened and scrambling to protect themselves.
Following complaints from visitors, the Haveli Police registered a case against nine named individuals in connection with the alleged assaults and intimidation. Police have launched a further investigation into the incident.
Authorities are now taking measures to control tourist numbers, with the fort set to become the first in Maharashtra to introduce app-based pre-registration for visitors. Vehicle entry will also be restricted as part of the new crowd-management measures.