Overview

• Damoh police said an FIR at Patera police station names four men, including Anuj alias Anju Pandey, with additional unidentified suspects, and that arrests are underway.
• Offences cited include sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to promoting enmity and prejudicial acts, with officials adding that regular patrolling and preventive measures are in place.
• A panchayat gathering allegedly forced Purushottam Kushwaha to wash Pandey’s feet and drink the water, and reports differ on whether a fine was set at ₹2,100 or ₹5,100.
• Pandey has claimed the act was voluntary and framed as a ‘guru-shishya’ gesture, while Kushwaha and his family are reluctant to file a complaint, citing fear of reprisals.
• Local leaders and parties weighed in after the video spread online, with Congress condemning the incident and the BJP accusing opponents of politicising the case.