Jamui's prime molestation accused encountered, arrested

Nandan Yadav, the prime accused in the alleged molestation of a minor student in Jamui, Bihar, was arrested on Tuesday, September 23, after an encounter with police that left him with a gunshot injury, officials said.

Yadav, identified in a viral video of the incident by the orange scarf wrapped around his head, was arrested along with another accused whose identity has not yet been disclosed. He was rushed for treatment following the encounter; further details of his injuries remain unclear. With his arrest, the total number of people held in connection with the case has risen to five out of seven identified suspects.

The incident occurred on Saturday evening in the Madwa Pahar area along the Jamui-Lakhisarai route, when a group of men allegedly stopped and molested a minor girl, a Class 10 student, while she was returning from a hill station with a male friend, also a minor. The group reportedly forced the two off their scooter, abused and molested the girl, and assaulted the boy when they attempted to flee. A video of the incident was later circulated on social media, prompting police to register a case after contacting the victims' families.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to probe the case. Separately, Jamui Police have registered a case against operators of around 120 social media profiles for allegedly sharing footage of the incident that risked revealing the minor victim's identity. One other accused, Ramashish Chaudhary, has also been arrested, and three juveniles in conflict with the law have been detained. A second key accused, Hare Ram Yadav, remains at large, with police continuing raids to trace him.