What did Ayesha Khan criticize about the moral policing in the Jamui harassment case?

Ayesha Khan criticized the moral policing by stating it was pathetic and disgusting, expressing her shock at the public's passive response while witnessing the harassment, and rejecting the idea of hiding such acts behind notions of morality and culture.

How did political leaders react to the Jamui minor girl harassment incident?

Political leaders, notably from the opposition, criticized the ruling BJP for the law and order situation in Bihar, with comments on moral policing and the government's response to the incident sparking widespread outrage.

What measures have been taken against the accused in the Jamui harassment case?

Following the incident, the main accused Nandan Yadav was shot by the police during an operation, and he along with other suspects has been arrested. A special investigation team (SIT) was formed to address the case.

Ayesha Khan slams moral policing in Jamui minor girl harassment case: ‘This is pathetic and beyond disgusting’

The footage shows a group of people surrounding the teenagers at an undisclosed location in Jamui. The video appears to have been shot at night.

Published on: Sep 22, 2026, 20:57:02 IST

By Santanu Das

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A video from Bihar’s Jamui has left the country shocked after it went viral, purportedly showing two minors being confronted and harassed by a group of people. Following social media outrage over the video, opposition leaders reacted strongly as they criticised the ruling BJP and raised questions about the law and order in the state.

Ayesha Khan recently gained attention for featuring in Dhurandhar’s dance number Shararat.

What Ayesha said

Now actor Ayesha Khan has reacted to the case. Taking to Instagram Stories, she wrote, “I genuinely feel sick watching what happened in Bihar. Imagine being surrounded, terrified and humiliated while people stand around watching and recording you. Stop calling this morality. Stop hiding harassment behind ‘culture’. This is pathetic and beyond disgusting.”

In another story, the actor lashed out at attempts of moral policing the girl. “Who asked for your solution? Who asked for moral policing? Who gave you the right? I can't believe some people are saying that the way of moral policing could have done in a better manner. Who are you? Who asked you? What is even more scary is everyone around is recording and they thought it is okay to post this? So no fear? No realisation? No morals? Oh so these people need moral policing do they? Everyone but the monster is the problem, then what is the permanent solution?”

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Ayesha's remarks came after BJP Jamui MLA Shreyasi Singh reportedly stated that while moral policing could potentially be carried out in a more “decent” and “elegant fashion”, the "mistreatment and mishandling" of the boy and girl was completely intolerable.

The incident took place on September 19, when two Class 10 friends left their coaching classes in Jamui town on a motorbike and visited a nearby spot (near Madwa hillock/Jamui-Lakhisarai road) to take photographs. Around 7 pm, while returning, they were intercepted by a group of local youths on the pretext of ‘moral policing’ before some of them started making vulgar comments, beating the boy, and sexually assaulting the girl as the two pleaded for help. The group filmed the entire ordeal on a mobile phone and threatened to upload the video online if they reported it.

Accused shot in leg by cops

The main accused, Nandan Yadav, behind the alleged harassment of two minors, was shot in the leg by police. Yadav and one more person accused in the case have been arrested, HT reported earlier.

The latest arrests come after the formation of a special investigation team (SIT). Three people were earlier arrested in the case.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Santanu Das
Santanu Das is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 5 years of experience, writing on films, pop culture and film festivals. He has a keen interest in writing about South Asian independent films and has covered several film festivals, including Sundance and CPH: Docx. He also brings a sharp perspective to the monthly column called The Fault in Our Stars, where he writes about a recent film/series and what stops the ‘good’ from becoming ‘great’. A gold medalist from Banaras Hindu University, Santanu completed his postgraduate studies in English from Jadavpur University. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes-certified film critic. When not watching films or speaking to celebrities, Santanu can be found reading a book. Some of his favourite films are Aparajito, Ponyo and The Double Life of Veronique. His favourite books include The Corrections, The God of Small Things and A Room of One's Own. Santanu continues to write passionately about films and celebrity culture. He brings a relatable, as well as critically informed, lens to entertainment and culture for a wide audience. Find him on LinkedIn: santanudasfilm Instagram: @santupechaRead More

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