How a Ganesh Mandal using harmful laser lights got away with Rs 1,000 fine

Police also said that mandal president Gopi Lokhande had been informed that laser beam lights were banned under provisions of Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) section 163.

3 min readPuneUpdated: Sep 29, 2026 07:28 AM IST

Despite the ban, on September 4, 2025, a team from Sangvi police station of Pimpri-Chinchwad police had found harmful laser beam lights being used (Credit: Pixabay/Representational)

Over the last few years, people have been raising their voice against Ganesh mandals causing sound pollution by playing loud music and using high intensity laser beam lights harmful to the eyes. Several citizens have even complained about vision problems due to these laser beams. Police subsequently banned high powered laser beam lights during the Ganesh Visarjan (immersion procession).

Despite the ban, on September 4, 2025, a team from Sangvi police station of Pimpri-Chinchwad police had found harmful laser beam lights being used during Bhairavnath Mitra Mandal’s Ganesh immersion procession in Pimple Gurav. The mandal’s president was told to stop, but the laser lights continued during the immersion procession from 8.30 pm to 11.45 pm on September 4, 2025, police said.

Police also said that mandal president Gopi Lokhande had been informed that laser beam lights were banned under provisions of Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) section 163.

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The following day a first information report (FIR) was lodged against 34-year-old Lokhande at Sangvi police station. Police also filed a chargesheet in court against him. During the trial, the accused pleaded guilty before the court, and that apparently changed everything.

On November 19, 2025, a court of judicial magistrate (first class) S N Gavali in Pimpri held Lokhande, president of Bhairavnath Mitra Mandal, guilty under BNSS section 275 (conviction on plea of guilty) and BNS 223, but awarded him a minor punishment of just two days imprisonment or a fine of Rs 1,000. In its order, the court stated that a lenient view was taken against the accused as he “voluntarily pleaded guilty to the charge” and submitted that “he was repenting” for “his act”. Police said the accused completed his punishment by paying the Rs 1,000 fine in court.

Senior officials of the Pimpri Chinchwad police Commissionerate had stated this was the first case in their jurisdiction, in which the court punished a Ganesh Mandal president for illegal use of high intensity beam lights.

In October 2023, 23-year-old Aniket Shigvan, who claimed to have lost about 70 percent vision, due to exposure to high-frequency laser lights during a Ganesh Mandal procession, held a press conference with Dr Anil Dudhabhate, an ophthalmologist and retina specialist based in Pune. Aniket had sought a ban on the laser beams. Dr Dudhabhate said anyone who looks directly at a laser of 5 MW for even ten seconds can suffer retinal hemorrhage. The doctor had cited Aniket’s example after high intensity laser light rays went through his eyes dancing a Ganesh mandal procession.

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Every now and then, police issue orders prohibiting the use of high intensity light beams within a 15-kilometer radius of the air field of Pune International Airport in Lohegaon, as they are likely to cause accidents during landing and take-off of flights.

Chandan Haygunde

Chandan Haygunde is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With over 20 years of experience in journalism, he is one of the region's most authoritative voices on crime, national security, and legal affairs. Professional Profile Specialization: He specialises covering issues related to Crime, Courts, National Security and Human Rights. He has done investigative reporting on incidents of terrorism, left wing extremism, espionage cases, wildlife crimes, narcotics racket, cyber crimes and sensational murder cases in Pune and other parts of Maharashtra. While working on the ‘Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) Fellowship on Tigers, Tiger Habitats and Conservation’ in 2012, he reported extensively on the illegal activities in the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra. He is at the helm of the widely read weekly series “Pune Crime Files”. He is widely recognized for his deep-dive coverage of the cases related to the Koregaon Bhima violence in Pune and the Elgaar Parishad investigation. Key Beats: His portfolio includes covering crimes mainly under the jurisdiction of Pune City, Pune rural and Pimpri Chinchwad Police, along with the sensitive cases from the state, being investigated by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Background: Before his long tenure at The Indian Express, he worked with other Marathi and English publications, giving him a unique grassroots understanding of Maharashtra's socio-political landscape. Awards and Recognition: He got the CMS PANOS Young Environment Journalist Award in January 2014 for investigative reports on illegal activities in Sahyadri Tiger Rerserve. He received the award for outstanding investigative journalism by the Lokmat group in Pune in January 2020, “Missing since 2010, Pune youth a ‘Maoist Commander’ in Chhattisgarh”, which appeared on July 9, 2019. Signature Style: The Investigative Hit Chandan is known for his ability to cultivate deep-cover sources within the police and intelligence agencies. His writing often goes beyond the "police version" of events, providing historical context and identifying systemic lapses. He is particularly respected for his balanced reporting on sensitive communal issues and his persistent tracking of the Maoist urban-link cases, making his columns essential reading for legal experts and policymakers. X (Twitter): @chandan_pune ... Read More

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