3 Bihar men arrested under Pocso after horrifying video of assault on Jamui teens

Three persons have been arrested after video footage showing a group of men sexually assaulting and harassing a Class 10 schoolgirl and her male friend went viral in Bihar’s Jamui district, police said on Monday.

The assault took place on the evening of September 19 in Jamui district, 150km from Patna, when the two teenagers were returning from a local scenic spot, Mawara Hill, on a two-wheeler. The suspects intercepted them on the pretext of ‘moral policing’ before some of them started making vulgar comments, beating the teenage boy, and sexually assaulting the girl as the two pleaded for help. In one video clip, one suspect who had covered his face forcibly grabbed, groped and dragged the girl.

Police said one of the suspects appeared to have recorded the incident on his mobile phone, which later emerged on social media, triggered widespread outrage and led to the arrests.

HT cannot independently verify the authenticity of the video clips.

Jamui superintendent of police (SP) Vishwajeet Dayal said the police hadn’t received a formal complaint from the young couple about the incident, but started inquiries after coming across the video clip, in which the boy identifies himself as a Jamui resident.

The victims later told the police that they studied at a local coaching institute and were returning from an outing on Saturday evening on their two-wheeler when they were intercepted by the group.

Jamui district magistrate Naveen Kumar, who told the police to act on the viral video clips, said most of the accused seen in the video have also been identified, he said, adding that two of the suspects in the case were minors.

Police said an FIR has been registered under sections 8 (sexual assault) and 12 (sexual harassment) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act and sections 74 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 76 (Assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe) and 3 /5 (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Jamui’s Sadar police station.

A special investigation team (SIT) has been constituted under the sub divisional police officer Dipti Monali to arrest the remaining suspects and conduct a thorough probe into the case.

Action against patrol team

Bihar's additional director general (law and order) K S Anupam said three of the seven persons involved in the incident have been arrested. Two others have been identified, and efforts are on to identify the other two.

She said they were examining where the local police personnel on patrol duty were. "The incident took place just 3 km from the Jamui town, and it happened between 6.15 pm and 6.30 pm. Action would be taken against police personnel who were on patrol duty at that time," she said.

Opposition slams govt

Bihar State Women's Commission chairperson Apsara Sahu said the panel had also taken cognisance of the case and will reach out to the teen girl.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) condemned the incident, saying it reflected how women were increasingly feeling unsafe in Bihar. "The way the girl was molested and the shameful incident of the couple getting harassed reflect that law and order has taken a nosedive in the state… The government should be accountable, and the police needs to answer why such incidents are taking place," said RJD senior leader Shakti Singh Yadav.

JD (U) spokesperson Nawal Sharma said the police would take strict action against those who take the law into their own hands. "There is rule of law in Bihar, and under no circumstances can Taliban rule or 'mob justice' be allowed on the streets here,” he said.

BJP spokesperson Kuntal Krishna said no culprit who plays with the dignity of daughters will be spared, and the police will set an example so no one can commit such a daring act again.