Jamui: Video of roadside harassment of girl and boy sparks outrage; SIT formed, 3 held

Police in Bihar's Jamui district on Monday (September 21) arrested three persons while a search was on for others allegedly involved in the harassment of a boy and a girl by the roadside, a video of which has triggered outrage on social media.

Jamui SP Bishwajeet Dayal said the incident took place on September 19 evening and a Special Investigation Team, headed by a woman officer, was conducting raids to arrest all the culprits.

"Although the incident is two days old, no complaint was made before us by the boy or the girl till Sunday. Today, when the video went viral, we traced the victims with the help of the registration number of a vehicle visible in the clip," the SP told reporters.

FIR filed

"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 lodged at Jamui police station, 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.

The FIR has been lodged under the POCSO Act and relevant sections of the BNS, and steps have been initiated for the "takedown of the video", the SP said.

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He said the boy and girl were friends and attended the same coaching institute, but declined to provide further details, saying, "We must keep some information private."

The video, which purportedly shows the two being harassed by a group of people, has drawn criticism on social media as well as from political leaders. PTI, however, could not independently verify the video's authenticity.

NCW takes suo motu cognisance

The National Commission for Women has taken suo motu cognisance of the incident involving the alleged public molestation, assault, wrongful restraint, and harassment of a young woman and her male companion in Bihar's Jamui district.

Commission chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar has written to the Director General of Police (DGP) of Bihar, directing that an FIR be registered immediately, all accused be identified and arrested based on video footage, and a time-bound, impartial investigation be ensured.

‘Deeply disturbing’: Rahul Gandhi

In a post on X, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi described the incident as "deeply disturbing".

"This is not culture, it is patriarchy," Rahul said, alleging that "andhbhakts" were responsible for such attitudes being "normalised".

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The Congress leader demanded that the persons identified in the video be "prosecuted under POCSO" and asked the BJP-led government in the state "why a girl is not safe on a public road".

Kharge calls for ‘harshest punishment’

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in a post on X called for the harshest punishment for the culprits.

“A shameful outrage occurred against a female student in Jamui, Bihar, and before that, the gang rape and murder of a 17-year-old daughter in Delhi... Such incidents scream to expose the lies and hypocrisy of the BJP's "Nari Shakti Vandan" and "Beti Bachao." Our demand is clear - the harshest punishment for the culprits and accountability from state governments.

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Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera in a post on X said the incident in Jamui was so horrifying that X was restricting posts containing visuals of the incident - including his own.

“But no amount of censorship can hide the reality. Our society is already deeply entrenched in patriarchy and misogyny. Combine that with a government whose commitment to women goes little beyond lip service, and the result is disastrous. Had Modi and Shah taken firm and exemplary action against perpetrators of violence against women, they could have established a clear standard of accountability and deterrence. Instead, their repeated political and institutional attempts to shield and reward such perpetrators create the opposite effect: A climate in which violence against women becomes a state-backed norm,” continued Khera.

AAP reminds PM of ‘beti bachao’ slogan

The Aam Aadmi Party also shared the video clip on its X handle, reminding Prime Minister Narendra Modi of his "beti bachao" slogan and alleging "in your BJP-ruled state of Bihar, a daughter's dignity is being torn to shreds".

RJD working president Tejashwi Yadav, who is the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, blamed the incident on Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary without naming him and referred to him as "nausikhiya" (inept).

Yadav also held Prime Minister Narendra Modi "solely responsible" for the "anarchy in Bihar", and alleged that JD(U) president Nitish Kumar, the former chief minister, was "made to pack his bags within four months of getting a fresh mandate by offering doles to the state’s women".

Trinamool Congress condemns incident

The Trinamool Congress also condemned the incident.

"What gives anyone the right to put their hands on a woman's body, WITHOUT HER CONSENT? Who gave these hooligans the authority to moral-police a young woman and a young man, humiliate them, and violate their dignity?", the party said in a post on X.

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"The Jamui incident is deeply disturbing. The trauma inflicted on that young woman - and on the young man who was subjected to such humiliation - will not disappear anytime soon. Every person responsible in the incident must face due process and the strongest punishment permitted by law, without delay or political interference," it said.

JD(U) Bihar chief's remark draws backlash

Meanwhile, JD(U) Bihar chief and MLA Umesh Kushwaha drew backlash from the Opposition for dismissing the case as a “small incident’.

BJP spokesman Neeraj Kumar Sharma, however, said the Bihar Police deserved to be commended for being proactive and beginning the probe without waiting for the victims to lodge a complaint.

(With agency inputs)