3 arrested, SIT formed, Opposition fumes over Jamui harassment case | Top updates

Three people have been arrested for alleged harassment of two minors in Bihar’s Jamui after a video purportedly showing them being confronted and harassed by a group of people went viral on social media. Jamui police has also formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case.

The incident took place around 7 pm on September 19, when the two minor friends, a boy and a girl, had gone for coaching and later visited the area where the incident happened to take photographs, according to Jamui SP Bishwajeet Dayal.

The footage, as seen on social media, shows a group of people surrounding the teenagers at an undisclosed location in Jamui. The video appears to have been shot at night.

The girl can be seen being confronted by several men, while the boy accompanying her appears to be separated from her during the confrontation.

At one point, a person whose face is covered appears to move towards the girl and lifts her up, grabbing her from below. The girl can be heard screaming and appears to resist. The man also attempts to intervene as the situation escalates. The two eventually appeared to get away from the group.

Also Read | Girl groped, boy hit as mob harasses teens in Bihar's Jamui, shocking video surfaces

Latest developments

Three arrested, SIT formed

Three people have been arrested in connection with the incident and Jamui Police has formed an SIT to investigate the viral video.

“Swift Action by Jamui Police in Viral Video Case on Social Media: S.I.T. Formed, Three Accused Arrested”, Jamui Police posted.

Victims identified, statements recorded

Jamui SP Vishwajeet Dayal said the video in which two minor students were being misbehaved with came to the police's notice on Monday and that the victims have been identified.

“Based on the video, we identified the victims and recorded their statements. It came to light that the incident took place around 7 pm on September 19. The two friends, a boy and a girl, had gone for coaching and had gone to the area where the incident occurred to take photographs. The incident happened in the Jamui police station area,” the officer told PTI.

Also Read | Four minor girls missing; two women allege domestic harassment

NCW seeks strict action

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken suo motu cognisance of an alleged incident of public molestation, assault, forcible detention and harassment involving a young woman and her male companion in Bihar’s Jamui district.

The commission said that, according to media reports and videos circulated on social media, “some individuals surrounded both of them at night, grabbed and pulled the young woman, and behaved indecently with her, while also assaulting her companion.”

NCW Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar has written to the Bihar Director General of Police (DGP), directing the immediate registration of an FIR in the matter, identification and arrest of all accused based on the video footage, and a “time-bound and impartial investigation”.

The commission has also directed authorities to provide “security, legal assistance, and psychological counseling” to the victims.

It further called for “necessary legal action to stop further sharing of the objectionable video being circulated on social media”.

Rahatkar has sought a detailed Action Taken Report (ATR) from the Bihar DGP within seven days.

“Any compromise on the dignity, safety, and privacy of women is unacceptable at any level,” the NCW said.

Rahul Gandhi demands POCSO action

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.

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

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

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".

Opposition parties react

The Aam Aadmi Party also shared the video clip on its X handle, reminding Prime Minister Narendra Modi of his "beti bachao" slogan.

“Modi Ji, what happened to your promise of 'women's honor'? In your BJP-ruled state of Bihar, a daughter's dignity is being torn to shreds, and you're sitting there mum as a clam. The BJP government is a stain on this country,” the AAP stated on its X handle.

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.

"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 added.