Four people have been arrested in Bihar’s Samastipur after a video showing a teenage girl and her male friend being harassed in broad daylight surfaced online, police said.
The arrests came on Wednesday night after the video emerged on social media, days after a separate harassment case involving two teenagers in Jamui district triggered widespread outrage.
Samastipur Superintendent of Police Arvind Pratap Singh identified the arrested men as Vikash Kumar Sharma, Rahul Kumar Paswan, Rambabu Sahni and Awadhesh Paswan.
Police Take Suo Motu Cognisance
According to police, the survivor in the Samastipur case has not yet been identified or traced.
Police therefore took suo motu cognisance of the incident and registered an FIR under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Information Technology Act.
The incident reportedly took place near Jagat Singh Bandh Bypass Road under the Karpuri Gram police station area.
People familiar with the matter said the teenage girl and her male friend were taking photographs when the accused allegedly approached them.
Samastipur Case Comes Days After Jamui Incident
The Samastipur case surfaced days after another video from Bihar’s Jamui district showed a group of men allegedly harassing a Class 10 student and her male friend.
The Jamui incident reportedly took place on September 19 when the two teenagers were returning from Mawara Hill on a two-wheeler.
Police said the accused allegedly intercepted the teenagers and assaulted the boy while harassing the girl. Five people were subsequently arrested in connection with the case.
Police also said one of the accused appeared to have recorded the incident, with footage later circulating on social media.
Political Reactions in Bihar
The latest incident has also triggered political reactions.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha criticised the Bihar government’s law-and-order record and questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the situation in the state.
Meanwhile, Shambhavi Choudhary, the Samastipur MP from Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), condemned the incident and said she had been in contact with the Superintendent of Police and local administration.
She said four accused had been arrested based on the video and called for swift action.
Investigation Underway
Police have registered the case and arrested four suspects. The investigation is continuing, while authorities are working to identify and trace the teenage survivor.
The circulation of videos involving minors on social media has also raised concerns over the need to protect survivors’ identities and prevent further dissemination of potentially harmful footage.
