India, Sept. 3 -- Social media influencer and activist Santosh Pandit was detained from his residence in Pune in the early hours of Thursday for allegedly using derogatory language against Maharashtra minister Chandrakant Patil, police said. Pandit has been raising civic issues and posting videos on social media.

The detention came a day after Pandit confronted another ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Gopichand Padalkar for allegedly not having the mandatory high-security registration plate on his vehicle.

The confrontation was recorded and circulated on social media. An audio clip purportedly involving Padalkar's associates abusing Pandit later surfaced online.

In March, a woman filed a complaint accusing Pandit of allegedly...