Jamui molestation accused's father held in 2003 double murder case

The father of a key accused in the alleged molestation of two minor students in Jamui has been arrested in connection with a double murder case dating back to 2003, police said.

Ganauri Yadav was taken into custody from Pratappur village and produced before a court, which remanded him to judicial custody. He had been absconding since the killings, which occurred on April 3, 2003, following a dispute over contract work in Pratappur, under the Town police station area.

According to police, two brothers, DP Yadav and Pune Yadav, were killed in the incident. Their mother, Sansari Devi, filed an FIR at the Town police station naming Ganauri Yadav among the accused. Eleven people were named in the case; Ganauri was the only one who had remained outside jail, while the others were out on bail, a police source said.

He faces allegations of murder, rioting and unlawful assembly, along with a charge under the Arms Act.

The arrest came a day after his 25-year-old son Nandan was injured in a police encounter while being pursued in connection with the Jamui molestation case. Nandan was shot in the right leg after he allegedly fired at a raiding team during a search in a riverbed area outside a village early Tuesday, police said. A country-made pistol was recovered from him.

Police had launched raids after videos of the alleged incident involving the two minors circulated on social media. The victims, a boy and a girl, had gone on a scooter ride after tuition to the hilly outskirts of Jamui, where they were allegedly surrounded and assaulted. The girl was allegedly molested. Police identified Nandan as the man seen in one of the videos with his face covered, allegedly grabbing the girl, lifting her and running away.

Another accused, Hareram Yadav, was also injured during the police operation. Police sources said he was also named in a case from October 2025, along with Nandan's brother Kundan, for allegedly stopping a person, assaulting him at gunpoint and taking Rs 2 lakh and a gold chain. He was booked for wrongful restraint, voluntarily causing hurt, theft, and intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace.

On Tuesday, police said Hareram was apprehended after attempting to flee and subsequently told investigators that Nandan had gone towards the river and was hiding in a patch of grass and bushes. The search team cordoned off the area, and when Nandan opened fire, police retaliated in self-defence, according to police.

Sources said the investigation revealed that Nandan and Hareram were involved in illegal sand and liquor smuggling, and that their past criminal records were being checked.

The molestation case was registered after police took suo motu cognisance of the videos. The girl's statement was recorded at her residence by a woman assistant sub-inspector. The case was registered under relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and a special investigation team was constituted under the Jamui Sub-Divisional Police Officer to investigate.

Police had earlier apprehended three juveniles in connection with the incident. The Jamui Cyber Police Station also registered a case over the circulation of videos on social media, flagging as many as 120 social media profiles. Three social media users allegedly involved in circulating the material have been arrested, a police officer said.