Jamui harassment: Three minors held after video of teenagers sparks outrage

Jamui: Police in Bihar's Jamui district arrested three people on Monday over the harassment of a teenage boy and a girl by a roadside. Clips of the incident went viral on social media and triggered outrage.

The two are Class 10 students of the same coaching institute in Jamui town, Superintendent of Police Bishwajeet Dayal said. The incident took place around 7 pm on September 19 on the Jamui-Lakhisarai road. A group of six to seven men, some masked, stopped the two friends as they returned on a two-wheeler.

No complaint was filed with the police until Sunday, the SP said. "Today, when the video went viral, we traced the victims with the help of the registration number of a vehicle visible in the clip," Dayal told reporters.

An FIR has been lodged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. A Special Investigation Team headed by Sub-Divisional Police Officer Deepti Monali is conducting raids, and about seven perpetrators have been identified from the footage.

The National Commission for Women took suo motu cognisance of the incident. Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar wrote to the Bihar police chief, seeking immediate registration of an FIR and the arrest of all the accused. The commission also sought a time-bound inquiry, security and counselling for the victims, and action to stop the circulation of the video.

The Bihar State Commission for Women also took cognisance. Chairperson Apsara Mishra said she had sought details from the Jamui district magistrate. "Stern action will be taken against all those found involved in this incident," she said.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi demanded prosecution of all those seen in the video under the POCSO Act. He asked why the accused were not in jail if the incident took place on September 19. "This is not culture, it is patriarchy," he wrote on X.

Bihar Minister and Jamui MLA Shreyasi Singh said the incident had brought shame to society. An FIR was registered after the videos surfaced and three arrests have been made, she said.

BJP spokesperson Neeraj Kumar Sharma said the state police deserved credit for beginning the probe without waiting for a complaint. The Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Aam Aadmi Party and the Trinamool Congress attacked the state government over the incident.