Three people have been arrested in Bihar's Jamui after a video showing them harassing two Class 10 students - a boy and a girl - surfaced online. The action comes hours after social media users tagged Bihar Police, urging action against those involved in the disturbing clip. Jamui Superintendent of Police Vishwajit Dayal had earlier told NDTV that police contacted the teenager and were analysing the video to identify those seen in it. He had promised action after the suspects are identified.
Police are also investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident that took place at 7 pm on Saturday.
The incident has been strongly condemned by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
"A young girl, hands folded, begged to be let go while goons groped her and dragged her away. Who gave these men the right to behave like this? This is not "culture." It is patriarchy: the belief that any man can police a girl's body, her movement, her choices," Gandhi said in a post on X.
He also demanded stringent action against the culprits under the POCSO Act, which is aimed at preventing and prosecuting cases of child sexual abuse, adding that Bihar government must answer why a girl is not safe on a public road at 7 pm.
Condemning the incident, Bihar minister Sunil Kumar said, "The local administration will take appropriate action on behalf of the government. I will talk to the SP of Jamui. Action should be taken against whoever is responsible. This incident is certainly condemnable, but it is not right to project that such a situation is happening in the entire Bihar on the basis of one incident. It is not right to say Bihar is a jungleraj. The police will arrest whoever is guilty in the incident."
The video shows the couple being surrounded by a group of people with one of them holding the collar of the victim's shirt, pulling him away from the woman. As she tries to run away, a masked man follows her and grabs her from behind trying to take her away.
The woman is heard screaming while resisting attempts to grope her.
The woman's friend breaks free and rushes to help her. They run towards their two-wheeler parked nearby but the attackers chase them.
An argument takes place as the two friends get on the two-wheeler to escape the ordeal, but the attackers grab the woman's arm. She again pleads as the video ends.
According to news agency IANS, the teenagers study at a private school in Jamui town. They had gone out on a scooter after attending coaching classes on Saturday evening.
The two were travelling along the Jamui-Lakhisarai road when they were intercepted by a group of people.
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