Y.S.GILL, VETERAN Journalist
In a heinous attack in broad daylight, journalist Sneha Barve was beaten by a wooden rod till she became unconscious while she was reporting on illegal construction activity in a riverbed in a town near Pune on July 4, 2025. Till date, the main accused, Pandurang Sakharam Morde, a local businessperson with political connections, is yet to be arrested.
The video of the chilling attack began with Barve, founder-editor of Samarth Bharat newspaper and SBP YouTube channel, speaking on video about illegal construction activity on a riverbed in Nigothwadi village near Manchar town in Pune district of Maharashtra. Suddenly, Morde swiftly raised a wooden rod and hit her repeatedly even as she screamed for help.
Images and video of journalist Sneha Barve attacked while reporting illegal construction on riverbed, by Ajaz Sheikh, cameraperson for SBP YouTube channel.
Barve was literally pounded by the huge rod till she became unconscious. The cameraperson, Ajaz Sheikh, who continued to record the attack, was also beaten when Morde’s aides realised the attack was being videographed. Bystanders who came to her rescue, were also severely beaten and one’s hand was fractured while another got his nose broken.
Barve was rushed to a local hospital and shifted to the DY Patil Hospital in Pune. She has sustained head and back injuries, and a CT scan of her head shows that an internal concussion and swelling.
Barve, who spoke to Free Speech Collective after her discharge from hospital a couple of days ago, said she was in no state to even comprehend the magnitude of the attack till she saw the video.
Barve said there were allegations that Morde had constructed a wall that blocked the riverbed, and this could result in flooding of the vegetable market. “I never imagined that there would be such an attack. I had gone to the spot on earlier and had taken pictures and prepared my script. I wanted to take his version too. But he refused to come on camera and suddenly began hitting me,” she said.
Who is Pandurang Morde?
Pandurang Morde, a local businessman with powerful political connections with both the Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena and the Ajit Pawar faction of the National Congress Party (NCP). Morde has a criminal record and has been charged with murder and attempt to murder in two separate cases lodged in 2003 and 2007 respectively. He secured an acquittal in one case and the other is pending. He is out on bail.
Neither party has made any statement on the attack.
Barve became a journalist eight years ago and decided to launch her own publication and YouTube channel. “I have been working very hard and have uncovered a lot of corruption. No one else does such work in this area,” Barve said.
Barve is no stranger to controversy. Last July, she filed a complaint with Ambegaon police after being threatened by former Member of Parliament from Shirur, Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil, who alleged that her reporting contributed to his loss. A video recording of the exchange was broadcast by local television channels.
“I escaped with my life, but I will not be silent. The attack on me could happen to any woman, any journalist,” she said.
The attack on Sneha Barve typifies the fragile state of press freedom, especially in district areas where journalists are subject to immediate and violent reprisal if they dare to report on corruption and illegal activities by local powers. Last year, a report from Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said that at least 13 of the 28 journalists killed in India since 2014 were working on environmental-related subjects, mainly land seizures, illegal mining for industrial purposes and corruption.
Multiple reports have documented the impunity shrouding these attacks. In ‘Getting away…
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