Jamui teens waylaid, assaulted; videos spark outrage as SIT probes case

A teenage girl and her schoolmate were assaulted and molested near Jamui in Bihar on Saturday evening, an incident that came to light only after videos of the attack spread on social media, prompting national outrage and a police investigation.

The two students had set out on a scooter shortly after tuition, around half past six, and rode to the hilly outskirts of the town to take photographs. Police said the spot is a few kilometres from the main Jamui–Lakhisarai road and is known for its scenic sunsets.

According to police, a group of seven or eight young men surrounded the two, assaulted the boy and molested the girl as both pleaded to be released. Videos of the encounter show the teenagers repeatedly apologising and promising not to return, while some in the group shout that the two should be married. In one clip, a man with his face covered lifts the girl and runs away while touching her inappropriately; he lets her go only after the boy chases him. Another video shows the boy telling the group that he and the girl study together and that their families know of their friendship, to which an accused responds with a slap and a challenge to call the families.

The victims did not immediately report the matter. Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) K S Anupam said the girl initially told no one, which delayed police action by two days. The boy's mother said the families learnt of the incident through Instagram and that the children had stayed silent out of fear.

Jamui Superintendent of Police Vishwajeet Dayal said no complaint was received at first, but once the videos reached the police, they contacted the victims and identified the accused. A woman assistant sub-inspector recorded the girl's statement at her home on Monday morning. The girl informed her family on the night of September 20, and her father filed a written complaint at the police station the next day, the ADG said.

A special investigation team has been constituted under Sub-Divisional Police Officer Dipti Monali, and raids are under way. Monali confirmed that an FIR has been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Three juveniles have been apprehended, most of those involved have been identified, and police are also examining whether a patrolling unit should have been present at the spot. The ADG added that steps are being taken to have the viral videos removed from various platforms, since circulating content involving minors is an offence.