In a dramatic turn of events in Madhya Pradesh, an FIR has been lodged against state Congress President Jitu Patwari following a twist in the recent reported case of a youth being made to consume human faeces in Ashoknagar district. The case that had initially caused outrage has now turned into a political storm with allegations of planted evidence, conspiracy, and trying to create social disharmony.
The row had started from Mungawali police station jurisdiction in Ashoknagar district when a youth, Gajraj Lodhi, had previously claimed that the son of the village sarpanch, Vikas Yadav, along with his followers, beat him and made him eat human faeces. The clip of Gajraj meeting state Congress leader Jitu Patwari over this issue went viral, sparking widespread public outrage and demands for action against the accused.
But in a dramatic twist, Gajraj Lodhi has now withdrawn his allegations and filed an affidavit with the Ashoknagar District Collector stating that his allegations were made under political pressure and in exchange for false assurances.
Allegations of Political Manipulation
As per the affidavit filed on June 26, Gajraj disclosed that he and his brother, Raghuraj Lodhi, had been brought to Orchha on June 25 by Congress workers, where they had a meeting with Jitu Patwari. At the meeting, Patwari was supposed to have pulled the people aside and Gajraj was asked to make false allegations that he had been fed human faeces by the family of the sarpanch. In return, Patwari promised to give him a motorcycle and money for his family.
Under coercion and tempted by the offers, Gajraj confessed to having made the false statement before the media and in the presence of Patwari. The Congress leader apparently got the video of the statement made and uploaded on social media to give the issue more publicity.
Ashoknagar Superintendent of Police Vineet Kumar Jain confirmed that an FIR has been lodged against Jitu Patwari and his aides following Gajraj Lodhi’s affidavit and follow-up police investigations. The case has been filed under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including those dealing with criminal conspiracy, inciting enmity, fabricating false evidence, false declaration, and attempting to vitiate social harmony.
Background of the Case
The case goes back to June 10, when Gajraj Lodhi of Moodra Barwah village in Mungawali tehsil had gone for a public hearing claiming that the village sarpanch, Rajan Yadav, and his son, Vikas Yadav, had snatched his brother’s motorcycle by force during a fight over ration distribution. When Gajraj had gone to them to take back the motorcycle, he said he was beaten up and given a serving of human faeces.
प्रधानमंत्री जी,@BJP4MP सत्ता का जंगलराज अराजकता की हद पार करता जा रहा है! लोधी समाज के युवक के मुंह में “मानव-मल” ठूंस दिया गया, क्योंकि उसने “राशन की पर्ची” मांग ली थी!
आरोप है कि चूंकि, आरोपी @BJP4India विधायक बृजेंद्र यादव के समर्थक हैं! इसीलिए @DGP_MP व @CMMadhyaPradesh… pic.twitter.com/4TdrSNr7gz
— Jitendra (Jitu) Patwari (@jitupatwari) June 25, 2025
During the subsequent days after the alleged incident, Gajraj’s video with Jitu Patwari went viral on social media, where he alleged that the family of the sarpanch committed the dastardly act. Patwari, himself, later allegedly called the Ashoknagar Collector from the location and called for speedy action, presenting himself as a crusader of justice for the downtrodden.
The incident incited demonstrations from the Lodhi community as well as civil society organisations in Ashoknagar. On June 18, locals appeared at the district headquarters, organising demonstrations and calling for justice for Gajraj. The incident gained considerable momentum, with political undertones exacerbating the rift.
Retraction and Police Findings
But fissures soon developed in the story. On June 26, Gajraj Lodhi went to the District Collector and presented an affidavit that the charge of being fed human faeces was completely baseless. He asserted that although he was indeed attacked by Vikas Yadav and his friends, there was no such cruel act done against him.
Police probes have supported Gajraj’s updated statement. SP Vineet Jain said that in earlier inquiries, it was found that on April 10, Vikas Yadav had registered a complaint stating that Gajraj, who was drunk, was creating a ruckus in the village. Police officers said that while Gajraj was taken to the station, he was found highly drunk, could not walk in a proper manner, and no case of assault or giving faeces to eat was found at the time.
In addition, at the first complaint on June 10 at the public hearing, the faeces-feeding incident was not even discussed in Gajraj’s written petition or verbal submissions, which cast further doubt on the sincerity of his subsequent claims.
Political Fallout
The revelation has led to a political furore with ruling party chiefs blaming Jitu Patwari and the Congress for engineering a vicious campaign to besmirch elected village leaders and create caste-based tensions.
Speaking to the media, SP Vineet Jain said, “All facts have been verified. The report of feeding human faeces was entirely false and fabricated.”
The FIR against Jitu Patwari consist of grave charges under the BNS sections 61(2) (criminal conspiracy), 196(1)(A) (inciting enmity), 197(1)(c) (statement causing disharmony), 229(2) (forgery to make a false document), 237 (false statement), and 353(1)(c) (misconduct with intent to disrupt social harmony). Police have started a thorough investigation, and any further action will be based on the outcome.
