Jamui (Bihar): Police in Bihar’s Jamui district on Monday arrested three persons for allegedly harassing a boy and a girl by a roadside after a video of the incident went viral on social media, triggering outrage. A search is on for the other accused.
Jamui SP Bishwajeet Dayal said the incident occurred on the evening of September 19 and a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by a woman officer, had been constituted to investigate the case.
The SP said neither the boy nor the girl had approached the police until Sunday. After the video went viral on Monday, police traced them with the help of the registration number of a vehicle seen in the clip.
“An SIT headed by Sub-Divisional Police Officer Deepti Monali has been set up. The accused have not been named by the victims in the FIR, but we have identified around seven perpetrators with the help of the video clip. Three persons have been arrested and raids are being conducted to nab the others,” Dayal said.
Police registered a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Steps have also been initiated to have the video removed from online platforms, the SP said.
Dayal said the boy and girl were friends and attended the same coaching institute, but declined to disclose further details to protect their privacy.
The video, which purportedly shows a group of people harassing the two, drew widespread condemnation on social media and from political parties. PTI could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi described the incident as “deeply disturbing” and said, “This is not culture, it is patriarchy.” He demanded prosecution of those responsible under the POCSO Act and questioned the safety of girls on public roads in Bihar.
The Aam Aadmi Party also condemned the incident and invoked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Beti Bachao” slogan while attacking the BJP-led state government.
RJD working president and Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Yadav blamed the state government for the incident and also targeted the Prime Minister over the law and order situation.
BJP spokesperson Neeraj Kumar Sharma, however, commended the Bihar Police for initiating an investigation without waiting for the victims to lodge a complaint.
The Trinamool Congress also condemned the incident, describing it as “deeply disturbing” and demanding that all those responsible face due process and the strongest punishment permitted by law.
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