At half-past six on Saturday evening, shortly after tuition, a teenage girl went out on a scooter ride with her friend in Bihar’s Jamui. The two teens, both in school, went to the hilly outskirts and clicked photos around the hills.
The area, police officers said, is slightly away from the town and around three kilometres from the main road connecting Jamui and Lakhisarai. “The sunsets there are scenic,” the officer said.
The incident, videos of which spread like wildfire, has prompted national outrage, again calling into question law and order in the state, even as police moved swiftly to contain the damage by apprehending three accused, who are believed to be minors.
UPDATE | Accused who molested teen boy, girl in Bihar’s Jamui shot in leg by police
Videos show the teens repeatedly apologising to the group, promising they would never return. Some members of the group start shouting and calling for the two to be married.
One video shows a man with his face covered grab hold of the girl, lift her up and run away while touching her inappropriately. It was only when the teenage boy chased him down that the accused let her go.
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Videos also show the boy telling them they study together and their families know of their friendship, only for an accused to slap him and say: “If they know, then call them.”
“Initially, the victim did not inform her family or anyone else about the incident,” ADG (Law and Order) K S Anupam said, explaining why it took two days for the police to take action.
It was when videos went viral that the Jamui police took cognisance of the matter and began an investigation.
The boy’s mother said, “I can’t comprehend how such a thing happened. We are completely blank. We came to know through Instagram; the children did not tell us out of fear.”
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An officer posted at the Bihar police headquarters elaborated, “As soon as the matter came to the notice of the police, the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Munger Range, and the Superintendent of Police, Jamui, were directed to take immediate action. A team from the Weak and Vulnerable Sections division of the Crime Investigation Department was also sent to Jamui for investigation and further action.”
Jamui Superintendent of Police Vishwajeet Dayal told The Indian Express that initially, no complaint was received, but when the videos started reaching the police, they contacted the victims and identified the accused.
A woman ASI recorded the girl’s statement at her residence on Monday morning.
“The girl informed her family on the night of September 20, and on September 21, the victim’s father submitted a written complaint at the police station. Jamui police have constituted a special SIT under the leadership of Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Jamui, Dipti Monali, and raids are being conducted,” the ADG said.
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SDPO Monali confirmed to The Indian Express that an FIR has been registered under relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Police said they have identified most of the youths involved in the incident. While three juveniles have been apprehended, raids are being conducted to nab the rest.
“At the same time, action is being taken to have the viral videos taken down from different platforms,” the ADG said, since circulating videos involving minors is an offence.
Police are also looking into whether a patrolling unit was supposed to be present around the spot at the time of the incident.
