Overview

• Damoh police said two suspects, including Anuj Pandey, have been arrested and two others are being pursued after four were booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 296, 196(1)(b) and 3(5).
• The incident occurred on October 10 at a temple in Satariya village, where Purushottam Kushwaha was compelled to wash Pandey’s feet, drink the water, publicly apologise and pay ₹5,100.
• Police and video evidence indicate the coercion followed Kushwaha sharing an AI-edited picture depicting Pandey with a garland of shoes, which was later deleted.
• An FIR notes earlier tensions after an October 6 dispute tied to a local push for a liquor ban, providing context to the confrontation.
• The video’s spread prompted public outrage as the Congress party demanded strict action, while the victim’s family told reporters they are afraid to file a complaint.