Pune:A 24-year-old student, identified as Amol Kale, has been arrested by Maharashtra’s cyber police for allegedly sending obscene text messages and making repeated phone calls to a woman BJP minister.

The arrest was made following a complaint filed by BJP office-bearer Nikhil Bhamre, who reported the harassment to the authorities two days ago.

According to police sources, Kale had been persistently contacting the minister over the last few days with offensive and inappropriate communication. The cyber police traced the origin of the calls to Bhosari, Pune, and apprehended Kale, who hails from Beed district in Maharashtra.

He was taken into custody on Thursday and brought to Mumbai. A local court has remanded him to police custody till Friday. During interrogation, Kale reportedly confessed to making the calls and sending the messages. Investigators also recovered the incriminating texts from his mobile phone.

The motive behind the harassment is still unclear. Police are examining Kale’s background and communication history to establish whether this was a targeted act or part of a broader pattern of cyberstalking.

Kale has been booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 — specifically under Section 78 (stalking) and Section 79 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) — and also under relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

The case has raised fresh concerns around the safety of public figures and the growing incidence of cyber harassment targeting women, including those in political office. Police have not disclosed the identity of the minister for security reasons.