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Judgment
The Superintendent of Police, Damoh, joined through video conferencing.
The incident relates to an obnoxious and unbelievable act against a member of the OBC community by members of the general community, which has taken place at GramSatariya somewhere around 10th or 11thof October 2025. The genesis of this case is as follows: -
One Annu Pandey is alleged to have been found drunk in the village and it is further alleged against him that he sold liquor in the village, where the Panchayat itself had imposed a self-prohibition in the village. From the newspaper reports and the reports available on YouTube channels Satya Hindi-MP, Punjab Kesari and Lalantop, it appears that Annu Pandey was fined by the Panchayat. The victim in this case is alleged to have used artificial intelligence and created a meme showing Annu Pandey with a garland of footwear around his neck. Upon objections by members of the general community, the victim is stated to have deleted the meme. However, things did not stop there. There was a Panchayat gathering, which decided on its own that the victim must atone for his act of indiscretion. For that he was called to the temple of the village and gheraoed by a large mob and compelled to wash the feet of Annu Pandey and consume that water. One of them was heard telling the victim that he must invocate and state that he shall serve the upper caste community. These YouTube news channels also shown later that the victim has appeared in a video where he says that he has stated that certain interested parties are trying to make a mountain out of a molehill and that the person whose feet he washed, is his Guru from a long time.
That part of the video prima facie clearly reflects from the eye movements of the victim that he was reading out something placed in front of him. In these couple of days, the Police at Damoh has registered in an FIR against the accused persons under section 296 (this Court is unable to understand as to how section 296 would be applicable) and 196 (1)(b) for which the maximum punishment is three years. However, this Court is of the opinion as the entire incident took place in the premises of the temple section 196(2) would also apply.
The worthy Superintendent of Police, Damoh, has been kind enough to join the proceedings through video conferencing. He has assured this Court that as the incident has taken place within the temple premises, the enhanced section under Section 196(2) would also find its place in the FIR.
As the environment within the temple clearly shows that though there were no vocal threats meted out to the victim, the environment was such that he was surrounded by several people and he had no option, but to state and do as he was directed by the mob. By necessary implication, prima facie, an offence u/s. 351 of the BNS is also evident and so, the Police is directed to add section 351 and s. 133 of the BNS to the FIR.
The repeated instances of caste-related violence and discriminative actions in the State of Madhya Pradesh is shocking. This is the same State, where a person of the general category urinated on the head of a tribal person and to placate whom, the then Chief Minister washed the feet of the victim. Caste identities are on the rise. Every community, frequently and shamelessly flaunts its caste identity to the detriment of the entire Hindu Society. Each caste has become vociferous and ultra conscious of its caste identity and leaves no measure unturned to demonstrate his/her pride of belonging to a particular caste. This is giving rise to several instances of caste violence. The victims in most cases are the least literate and most impoverished economically. The incident of the shoe being thrown at the Chief Justice of India, the suicide committed by a Senior Additional Director General of Police in Haryana, are instances of such caste related issues gaining prominence in this country. If one is unfortunate to follow social media or reads the newspaper, the Hindu is conspicuous by his absence. Persons refer to themselves as Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras, each asserting their independent identity. At this stage, if things are unchecked, within a century and half, the people, who call themselves Hindus, will cease to have exist, fighting amongst themselves.
This Court would not usually have directed the police to proceed against these accused people under the National Security Act as that’s a matter of executive discretion. However, the delay in acting in that direction and the resentment that is being caused within the people of the community from which the victim hails, if action is not taken urgently and immediately, situations may lead to violence where police action thereafter would become ineffective with public order being disturbed.
Thus, this Court feels that before this evil symphony of caste acrimony and discrimination reaches its crescendo, the police and the administration of Damoh is directed to forthwith proceed against all those persons under the NSA (in addition to the FIR), who are visible in the video and whose identity can be ascertained, who were there in the temple surrounding the victim and compelling him to do the act.
List this case on 15/10/2025 at top of the list.