A dramatic showdown between the judiciary and a ruling party functionary erupted in Dewas, after BJP leader Pankaj Gharu was arrested for allegedly misbehaving with a judge triggering not just a criminal case, but a swift demolition drive.

A grievance redressal meeting saw a heated exchange between Haryana Minister Anil Vij and a senior police officer over the suspension of a sub-inspector accused of fraud.

Recounting the moments leading up to the tragedy, the survivor told NDTV: “My friend said, ‘let’s eat it and see if we will live or die. They gulped the poison meant to kill herons with water. I had very little of it and spat it out immediately, so I