PATNA: Four of seven youngsters who allegedly molested and tried to undress a teenage girl in broad daylight were arrested in Bihar’s Jehanabad district on Monday. The attackers filmed the incident and the clip went viral on social media.“It was an apparent attempt to rape the minor girl... The faces of two youngsters who were arrested match with those in the video. The other two were recording the incident,” said Patna Zonal IG Nayyar Hasnain Khan.Three of those arrested — Amar Kumar, Sunil Kumar and Deepak Kumar — are adults, while the fourth is a minor. “We have the names of four-five other youngsters who were involved in the act, and are working to arrest them,” Khan added.
The accused have been booked under Sections 376 (rape) and 511 (punishment for offences punishable with life or other imprisonment) of the IPC, Section 8 (sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, and several sections of the IT Act.A video of the incident started doing the rounds on social media on Saturday night, and based on it, an FIR was registered against seven unnamed persons. Subsequently, a special investigation team (SIT) was formed by Jehanabad SP Manish Kumar.
In the clip, about seven young men are seen grabbing a minor girl inappropriately on a road. Despite her loud protests and plea: “Bhaiya, meherbaani karein bhaiya. Abhi nahin, bhaiya (Brothers, please show mercy on me. Not now, brothers),” they try to tear open her clothes. The incident reportedly occurred near Bharthua village of the district.
What happened to the girl after the incident remains unknown as the police are yet to ascertain her identity and find her. Evidence suggests she is a minor, the IG said, while other police sources put her age at 14.
“The victim will soon be found and approached for her statement. We have formed a team of women police officials and counsellors for this,” said Khan. He also urged TV channels not to air videos of the incident.
BJP candidate refuses to quit, kin allegedly raped by TMC cadre
A six-month pregnant relative of a BJP candidate for Zilla Parishad was raped allegedly by Trinamool Congress cadre after the candidate refused to withdraw her nomination for the upcoming panchayat elections in West Bengal’s Nadia district. The victim’s condition is said to be critical.