After Jamui, another girl harassed in Bihar; five detained in Samastipur after video goes viral

Patna: Days after a Class 10 girl was harassed in Bihar’s Jamui, a similar case has emerged this time in Samastipur. A video showing the public harassment of a young girl has surfaced on social media, prompting police action and the detention of five suspects.

The alleged incident took place on the Bandh Bypass Road in Jagatsinghpur village, under the jurisdiction of Karpurigram police station, and a few km from the Samastipur district headquarters.

According to the preliminary information available to police, the girl had stopped along the roadside with a male companion to take photographs when a group of youths surrounded her and misbehaved with her.

The viral video, which began circulating widely on social media late on Wednesday, allegedly shows some youths questioning the girl about her identity, verbally abusing her and engaging in inappropriate behaviour. The footage also appears to show an attempt to pull her along the road.

Police said an onlooker is believed to have recorded the incident on a mobile phone before the clip was widely shared across social media platforms. After the video came to their notice, Samastipur Police initiated an investigation and began identifying those seen in the footage.

So far, police have identified two suspects as Vikas Sharma and Rahul Kumar, both residents of Jagatsinghpur village. Police have detained five individuals from the village and are questioning them in connection with the case. Police said multiple liquor-related cases are already registered against Vikas Sharma.

Samastipur Superintendent of Police Arvind Pratap Singh said officials were examining the roles of all individuals seen in the video and were directed to expedite the investigation and take appropriate legal action against those found involved.

Investigators are also verifying the authenticity of the video, establishing when and where the incident took place, and identifying the person who recorded the footage. Police are examining whether the viral clip reflects the complete sequence of events or has been circulated in an edited form.

Officials said the identities of everyone appearing in the video, the exact circumstances of the alleged incident and the number of people involved would become clear only after the investigation is completed. Police continue to question the detained suspects and gather information from local residents as the probe progresses.

IANS