A video showing a teenaged girl being sexually assaulted and her male friend beaten by a group of men in India’s Bihar state has sparked widespread outrage. The school students, both minors, were stopped in Jamui district on 19 September. Footage shared widely online shows them surrounded and repeatedly pleading to be allowed to leave. The boy is seen being slapped and pulled by his collar, while the girl is touched inappropriately and, in another clip, carried away by a man as the boy tries to intervene.
Three accused, also minors, have been arrested in connection with the assault. A special investigation team has been set up to catch the other suspects. The disturbing footage has prompted anger over the harassment of the two teenagers and renewed a wider debate about the safety of women and girls in Bihar, as well as questions over the response of state authorities. The outrage intensified after Bihar minister Shravan Kumar said that “sporadic incidents keep happening” and that the government was keeping a watch on them.
“The world is not entirely free of crime,” he said, adding that those responsible would not be allowed to escape and would face strict action. Umesh Kushwaha, of the governing Janata Dal (United), also faced criticism after referring to such cases as “isolated incidents” and contrasting the government’s record with that of the previous RJD administration. Kushwaha later said his remarks had been “distorted and misrepresented” and promised action against those responsible. Police said the incident took place around 19:00 local time [13:30 GMT] on Saturday, but it came to light on Monday after the video of the assault went viral.
The teenagers, both students of 10th standard, attended the same coaching institute and had gone to the area to take photographs after their classes, according to police. Jamui police chief Bishwajeet Dayal said neither of them had initially reported the incident – officers began investigating after the video circulated widely online and traced the pair using the registration number of a vehicle visible in the footage. Their statements were subsequently recorded and a case was registered following a written complaint from the girl. A case has been registered under India’s stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, or Pocso.
Police have also invoked sections of India’s criminal code covering assault or criminal force against a woman with intent to outrage her modesty, assault or criminal force with intent to disrobe, and acts carried out with a common intention. Senior police officer KS Anupam said three minors had been arrested and that investigators had established the involvement of two other people. Police have also begun action against 32 social media accounts accused of circulating footage in which the teenagers could be identified, she added. The shocking nature of the assault has provoked outrage online, with many social media users expressing horror and questioning why a group of men believed they had the right to confront two teenagers for being together.
Some characterised the incident as an extreme form of “moral policing”, while others tagged Bihar police and demanded strict action against the harassers. Shreyasi Singh, a Bihar minister and legislator from Jamui, told NDTV news channel, external the incident had brought “shame to society”. Singh, a former international-level sport shooter, said women in Bihar were advancing in many areas but concerns about their safety persisted. She called for the remaining suspects to be arrested quickly and for strict action against those responsible.
Opposition leaders, meanwhile, have seized on the case to question the state government’s record on women’s safety. Rahul Gandhi, MP and senior leader of India’s main opposition Congress party, described the footage as “deeply disturbing” and said the incident reflected a patriarchal “belief that men could police a girl’s body, movements and choices”. “This is not culture. It is patriarchy,” Gandhi wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Tejashwi Yadav, the opposition leader in Bihar, said the incident had left him “deeply ashamed” and accused the government of failing to ensure the safety of women and girls in the state. Members of Bihar’s governing coalition have rejected the opposition’s wider criticism of the state’s law-and-order record and said those responsible for the attack would face strict action. India’s National Commission for Women has also intervened, calling for all those involved to be identified and arrested and for an impartial investigation. The commission has asked for a report from Bihar police and urged authorities to prevent further sharing of the video clips to protect the girl’s identity and privacy.
The Bihar State Women’s Commission has also sought information from district authorities about the action being taken in the case.
