Indore water contamination: Influencer booked for ‘objectionable’ remarks against BJP MP

A social media influencer, identified as Jatin , has been booked by Indore police for allegedly posting objectionable and false remarks against Lok Sabha MP Shankar Lalwani in an Instagram reel related to deaths caused by contaminated drinking water.

The case was filed at the crime branch following a complaint by Vishal Gidwani , a representative of the MP. Police said Jatin’s reel, which went viral on social media, contained misleading claims and abusive language targeting the MP. Authorities noted that the influencer falsely claimed to have visited Indore after the outbreak and met the MP, and that he violated a legal prohibition on spreading misleading information online.

The police have registered the case under sections 223 (disobedience to an order of a public servant) and 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Officials clarified that the controversial remarks were made in a recorded Instagram reel, not a live broadcast.

The remarks have sparked reactions on social media, reflecting heightened public concern over the water crisis in Bhagirathpura. Many users have criticized authorities for negligence and mishandling of the outbreak, which began in late December and has caused vomiting and diarrhoea among residents . The Congress has claimed that 32 people have died due to the outbreak, while a state government “death audit” report submitted to the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court suggested that 16 deaths could be linked to the contaminated water.

The High Court has set up a one-member judicial commission , headed by retired HC judge Justice Sushil Kumar Gupta , to investigate the outbreak and related deaths.