Union Minister Raksha Khadse’s Daughter Harassed at Maharashtra Fair: Arrests Made Amidst Political Outcry

Raksha Khadse, who is the Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, said that her daughter and her friends were harassed during the Sant Muktai Yatra on February 28, 2025, in Kothali village, Jalgaon district, Maharashtra. The girls went to the fair with security guards when a group of boys reportedly followed them around, took pictures and videos without permission, and got violent when the security guard tried to stop them.

Raksha Khadse, visibly upset, filed a formal complaint at the Muktainagar police station, emphasizing her role as a mother seeking justice rather than as a Union Minister and MP.

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Following the complaint, the police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against seven individuals under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and the Information Technology (IT) Act due to the unauthorized photography.

#WATCH | Jalgaon, Maharashtra: SDPO Muktainagar Krishnat Pingale says, “On February 28, some girls went near the ‘Jhula’ during the Yatra)… At that time, Aniket Bhui, Piyush More, Soham Kodi, Anuj Patil, Chetan Bhui, Sachin Palve and Kiran Madi, these people stalked the girls… pic.twitter.com/LyA5zt8oWa

— ANI (@ANI) March 2, 2025

One of the suspects, Soham Mali, has been caught, but police are still looking for the other suspects.

Krushant Pingale, the Sub-Divisional Police Officer of Bhusawal, said that Aniket Bhoi, the main suspect, has been in several other crime cases. He promised that teams are looking for all the accused people right now to bring them to justice.

There have been big political responses to the event. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis condemned the act and said that those responsible would be punished severely. He also confirmed that some of the suspects are connected to a political party.

Harshvardhan Sapkal, the head of the Maharashtra Congress, criticized the state government’s treatment of law and order and pointed out how bad the event was even though there were police present. He was worried about the safety of girls and women in the state and questioned whether the present safety steps were working.

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Raksha Khadse was very worried about the safety of the public and said that people in the area said these people regularly bullied schoolgirls. She said that if these things can happen to her daughter, then everyone’s safety is at risk, and she called for strict execution of rules that protect women.

This event has sparked more debate about the safety of women in Maharashtra, with calls for stronger steps to stop similar things from happening again.