Bihar woman survives sexual assault, only to be humiliated by village panchyath

Police in Bihar's Begusarai registered an FIR after a video purportedly showing a sexual assault survivor being humiliated and forced to lick her spit surfaced on social media, officials said on Monday, August 3.

One person was arrested on Sunday, August 2, while raids were underway to nab the main accused, who allegedly sexually assaulted the woman, Begusarai DSP Nikhil Kumar said.

According to the police complaint by the survivor, the 30-year-old mother of three was allegedly sexually assaulted by a neighbour twice between June 2 and 4 and a panchayat subsequently forced her to lick her own spit, deciding that she was at fault for the crime.

The complaint was lodged on Saturday, with the woman saying the alleged sexual assault and the humiliation by the panchayat happened in the absence of her husband, who worked as a labourer away from the village.

She could muster the courage to approach the police only after her husband returned home.

In the complaint, the woman stated that a neighbour entered her house and sexually assaulted her on June 2 and June 4. She alleged that when the accused was attempting to flee through a window on June 4, villagers caught him and convened a panchayat, police said.

During the assembly on June 4 and 5, the woman was allegedly forced to lick her own spit because the gathering declared her to be at fault, officials said.

Begusarai DSP (Headquarters) Nikhil Kumar said, "An FIR has been registered based on the woman's complaint, and police are trying to verify the authenticity of the video circulating on social media."

PTI could not ascertain the veracity of the video.

According to officials, the woman's in-laws lived in the neighbourhood.

Taking note of the seriousness of the allegations, Deputy Superintendent of Police Subodh Kumar and the SHO of the police station concerned visited the crime scene and initiated an investigation.