2 accused of harassing minors in Bihar's Jamui arrested after police encounter

Five people, including three minors, have been held over the September 19 incident after a video of the alleged assault was circulated on social media.

Two main accused in the alleged harassment and molestation of two minor school students in Bihar’s Jamui district were arrested on Tuesday after an encounter with police, in which one suffered a bullet injury and the other was injured while trying to flee, police said.

Security personnel carry an accused allegedly involved in the harassment of a boy and a girl by the roadside, after he was shot in leg during a police encounter, in Jamui, Bihar. (Hindustan Times)

With this, five people, including three minors, have been held in connection with the September 19 incident, which came to light after a video of the episode went viral on social media.

One accused shot, another injured while fleeing

DIG, Munger Range, Rakesh Kumar said, “Nandan Yadav, one of the main accused seen in the video, suffered a bullet injury in his right leg, while his accomplice Hareram Yadav fractured his knee while trying to escape.”

He added, “Both of them are undergoing treatment at Sadar hospital. Earlier, we had picked up three minors, who will be dealt with by the juvenile justice board. We may pick up a few more people after interrogating Hareram and Nandan upon their recovery.”

Hareram allegedly led group in video

“It was Hareram who was seen in the clip with his face wrapped in a scarf, leading the group,” he said.

Police said both Nandan and Hareram have criminal antecedents including cases related to illegal sand mining.

Jamui SP Biswajeet Dayal said police took suo motu cognisance as neither victim had initially filed a complaint. The victims were traced with the vehicle registration number visible in the video.

Minor accused allegedly recorded incident

Police said one of the three accused minors recorded the incident and shared it with another person before it was circulated widely. The incident has triggered a political exchange in Bihar. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi called it “deeply disturbing” and demanded action under the Pocso Act, while RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav alleged a “collapse of law and order”. However, the BJP came out with a social media post claiming, Nandan, who often wore a saffron “gamcha” and sported a red “tilak”, was “a devotee of Lalu Prasad”, RJD’s founding president.