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.
The footage, as seen on social media, shows a group of people surrounding the teenagers at an undisclosed location in Jamui. The video appears to have been shot at night.
Blow-by-blow account of the incident
Sept 19: 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.
Deep Dive
What was the Jamui incident involving minors about?
What actions did the police take following the Jamui harassment video going viral?
Why did the victims not report the Jamui harassment incident initially?
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.
The girl can be seen being confronted by several men, while the boy accompanying her appears to be separated from her during the confrontation.
{{/usCountry}}The girl can be seen being confronted by several men, while the boy accompanying her appears to be separated from her during the confrontation.
{{/usCountry}}At one point, a person whose face is covered appears to move towards the girl and lifts her up, grabbing her from below. The girl can be heard screaming and appears to resist. The man also attempts to intervene as the situation escalates. The two eventually appeared to get away from the group.
Sept 20: No official complaint or FIR was filed by the traumatised victims or their families due to fear and threats.
Sept 21, morning: The disturbing footage of the harassment went viral across social media platforms, sparking intense nationwide outrage.
Sept 21, afternoon: A Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by female Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), Deepti Monali, was formed to track the perpetrators. The police successfully identified around seven perpetrators using video analysis and arrested three suspects, who were identified as minors.
Sept 21, mid-day: Taking suo motu cognizance of the viral video, the Bihar Police traced the victims using the registration number of the vehicle visible in the clip. Jamui Police officially registered an First Information Report (FIR) under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Pocso Act.
"Although the incident is two days old, no complaint was made before us by the boy or the girl till Sunday. Today, when the video went viral, we traced the victims with the help of the registration number of a vehicle visible in the clip", Jamui SP Bishwajeet Dayal told reporters.
"An SIT headed by Sub-Divisional Police Officer Deepti Monali has been set up. The accused have not been named by the victims in the FIR lodged at Jamui police station, but we have identified around seven perpetrators with the help of the clip. Three persons have been arrested, and raids are being conducted to nab the others," he added.
The FIR has been lodged under the POCSO Act and relevant sections of the BNS, and steps have been initiated for the "takedown of the video", the SP said.
HT could not independently verify the veracity of the video.
Opposition fumes, Rahul Gandhi demands POCSO action
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reacted to the video, calling it "deeply disturbing".
In a post on X, Gandhi said, "This is not culture, it is patriarchy," Gandhi said, alleging that "andhbhakts" were responsible for such attitudes being "normalised".
The Congress leader demanded that the persons identified in the video be "prosecuted under POCSO" and asked the BJP-led government in the state "why a girl is not safe on a public road".
Other opposition leaders also chimed in with their criticism. Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee also slammed the BJP government, calling the video from Bihar “gut-wrenching” and “shocking”.
“Those who took the law into their own hands in the name of ‘moral policing’ must be held accountable by the police and the law. No society can allow mobs to decide who deserves dignity, who deserves freedom, or who deserves punishment,” Banerjee said in a post on X.
Addressing the children involved, she said, “I am sorry. I apologise to you. Because somewhere, somehow, we as a nation failed you. We failed to protect you. We failed the trust you placed in the adults, institutions and society around you.”
Banerjee also accused the BJP of “political hypocrisy”, saying its leaders demand justice in states where the party is not in power but “where they are in power, they are the instrument of injustice”.
Aam Aadmi Party took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Beti Bachao’ andolan slogan.
“Modi Ji, what happened to your promise of 'women's honor'? In your BJP-ruled state of Bihar, a daughter's dignity is being torn to shreds, and you're sitting there mum as a clam. The BJP government is a stain on this country,” the AAP stated on its X handle.