Pune court grants bail to Rahul Waghmare, accused in attack on YouTuber Atharva Jagtap

A court in Pune has granted bail to Rahul Sitaram Waghmare, an accused in the alleged attack on YouTube influencer Atharva Jagtap. The judge said the injuries cited in the case did not prima facie show an intent to kill.

Additional Sessions Judge S. U. Wadgaonkar allowed the bail application in an order pronounced on Wednesday. Waghmare is accused of being part of a mob that attacked Jagtap with a koyta outside Cafe Flying Gypsy on Shirole Road on August 15. He must now furnish a personal bond of Rs 25,000 and one surety of the same amount.

The court also directed Waghmare to stay away from Jagtap and not to tamper with evidence. It said that an accused having other criminal cases against them cannot, on that ground alone, be a reason to refuse bail.

The order refers to the injuries recorded in the case, which include a small cut wound and an injury to the back. About 11 to 12 people were allegedly involved in the attack, yet the court looked at the nature of the injuries while deciding the application.

The case is registered at Deccan police station. It is said to stem from a dispute involving Madhavi Kumbhar, who knew Jagtap through social media. According to the FIR, tension began during Navratri in 2025. Later, Kumbhar's friend Pratik Shinde allegedly trolled a reel of Jagtap's, after which the matter worsened.

According to the prosecution's statement, Jagtap was leaving a restaurant with his friends at around 3.45 am on August 15. Kumbhar, Snehal Sonke, Sharadul Oval and six to eight unidentified people then surrounded him.

Waghmare is accused of involvement in the attack. The allegations have not yet been proved in court, and the bail order is not a finding on his guilt.