New Delhi, July 11, 2026: In a development that has sent shockwaves through the Indian television industry, popular small-screen actor Rohit Chandel has been arrested by the Mumbai Police. The 29-year-old actor, widely recognized for his prominent roles in major daily soaps, was taken into custody from his residence in Dahisar following a serious complaint lodged by a 16-year-old girl residing in an eastern suburb of Mumbai. The police have invoked stringent legal provisions against the actor, including the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, after the teenager accused him of persistent stalking, harassment, and physical assault.
The arrest took place on Friday after the minor, accompanied by her family members, approached the local police station to report a series of deeply disturbing incidents. Following his arrest, Chandel was produced before a special POCSO court in the city, which subsequently remanded him to police custody to facilitate a comprehensive investigation into the allegations. As the news broke, it rapidly gained traction across digital platforms, leaving fans and industry insiders in a state of disbelief given the actor’s highly visible presence on prime-time television.
The Nature of the Complaint and Harassment Allegations
According to the official first information report (FIR) registered by the Pant Nagar Police, the victim and Rohit Chandel were previously acquainted with each other. However, the situation escalated into severe harassment over a period of time. The complaint states that the actor began making continuous, unwarranted phone calls to the 16-year-old minor. To circumvent being blocked or avoided, Chandel allegedly utilized his personal mobile number alongside multiple other alternative phone numbers to establish contact, causing considerable emotional distress and anxiety to the teenager.
The harassment reportedly reached a flashpoint on July 5, 2026, when the actor allegedly intercepted the girl in the vicinity of her residential building in an eastern suburb. The victim alleged that Chandel confronted her aggressively, chased her as she attempted to distance herself, and initiated a heated argument. The confrontation quickly took an abusive turn, culminating in a physical assault where the actor allegedly struck the minor with his hands. This public display of aggression prompted the victim’s family to seek immediate legal intervention, leading directly to the police taking swift action against the television star.
Strict Legal Charges Invoked by Mumbai Police
Recognizing the gravity of the offense involving a minor under the age of 18, the Pant Nagar Police have built a robust legal case against Chandel. The primary and most severe charge falls under the specialized Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, which is designed explicitly to protect minors from harassment and abuse. The stringent nature of this act means that the judicial proceedings will be handled by a designated special court, and obtaining bail remains exceptionally difficult during the initial phases of the inquiry.
In addition to the POCSO framework, the police have applied relevant sections of the unified Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) to address the specific physical acts committed during the encounter. The invoked sections include:
- Section 78 of the BNS: Pertaining directly to the offense of stalking, tracking, or forcing unrequested interaction.
- Section 115(2) of the BNS: Applied specifically for voluntarily causing hurt and physical injury through assault.
A senior official monitoring the investigation confirmed that the initial process of collecting electronic evidence, including call detail records (CDRs) and available closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from around the victim’s residential area, has already commenced to substantiate the sequence of events detailed in the FIR.
A Look at Rohit Chandel’s Television Career
Rohit Chandel has been a well-known name in the Hindi television landscape, enjoying a steady trajectory of high-profile assignments over the last few years. The actor originally transitioned into the entertainment world after choosing to drop out of his engineering curriculum to pursue full-time acting—a gamble that initially paid off with significant prime-time visibility.
His portrayal of Dhawal Makwana in Star Plus’s highly rated show Pandya Store earned him a massive fanbase and made him a household name across India. Following the conclusion of Pandya Store, Chandel had successfully secured another central character, playing the role of Ishaan in the ongoing television series Sairaab. The sudden arrest and serious nature of the criminal charges put a definitive question mark over his immediate professional commitments and his ongoing participation in the current daily soap.
Current Status of the Investigation
As it stands, Rohit Chandel remains in police custody under the orders of the special POCSO court. The legal representatives for the actor have not issued any public statements or formal media reactions regarding the defense strategy or the validity of the claims made by the complainant. The police department has maintained a tight lid on further specific details to protect the identity and privacy of the minor involved, which remains a mandatory requirement under Indian law for sensitive cases of this nature.
The television industry has historically maintained a cautious approach to ongoing criminal investigations involving its main talent pool. Production houses associated with his current projects are reportedly monitoring the legal outcomes closely before taking formal decisions regarding character recasting or script alterations. With the police actively gathering corroborative statements from witnesses who may have been present near the residential building on July 5, the case is expected to see further evidentiary disclosures in the coming days as the remand period progresses.