Patna: Police have arrested four people after a minor girl was publicly undressed and molested by a group of youths in Bihar on Saturday. The incident comes amid nationwide outrage over the gang-rape and murder of girls in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua and Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao, prompting the Indian government to come out with a harsh law to sternly deal with such cases.
The police acted after the video of the incident which took place in central Bihar’s Jehanabad district went viral on social media. The video shows the minor girl hounded by a group of eight to nine youths who are seen molesting, dragging and undressing the victim while lifting her off the ground. They show no mercy even as the girl addressed them as “Bhaiya” (brothers) and pleads for mercy.
“Four people have been arrested in connection with the case. Faces of two people have been matched with people in the video and the other two were making the clip. Other four-five people have been named by them,” Patna zonal Inspector General of police Nayyar Hasnain Khan told the media on Monday adding extensive raids were still on to nab the other fleeing accused persons. Most of the arrested persons are teenagers.
“Whatever the arrested youths could say in their defence but this is indeed a rape attempt,” Khan said adding the case would get a speedy hearing.
Khan described the incident as very shameful adding the accused persons would be served such a punishment that none would dare to commit such crime in future. The police have also ordered a special investigation in the incident to bring it to the logical conclusion.
As per reports, the girl was going somewhere when a group of youths, mostly looking like teenagers in the video, shabbily treat her on the street as none comes to save her even as she cries for help. The girl while trying to defend herself falls on the ground but later regains consciousness and tries to escape. She is looking completely shattered and screaming for help. The incident took place at Bharthua village in Jehanabad district on Saturday.
A motorbike seen in the video footage came as a crucial evidence in the case. Based on the bike’s registration number and the information of its owners in the transport department’s record, the police reached the culprits.
According to the police, they have taken suo moto cognisance of the case and registered the FIR (First Information Report) against the unknown persons on their own level as the victim’s family didn’t come forward.
“The FIR has been lodged under Section 376 (rape) and 511 (punishment for offences punishable with life or other imprisonments) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 8 (sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012,” a police official said. The official added that more sections of the Indian Penal Code would be imposed against the accused persons after the investigation.
The main opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) reacted bitterly to the incident, terming it as the “total collapse of law and order situation” in Bihar. “Such incidents are taking place as the fear of the police is completely gone now. None is secure in the state as there is no rule of law in Bihar,” alleged RJD spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav.
