Bihar Police have registered cases against around 120 social media account operators for allegedly circulating a video that revealed the identity of a minor girl who was allegedly harassed and sexually assaulted in Jamui.
The police have warned people against sharing, reposting or otherwise circulating footage that could identify the victims, saying such disclosure is punishable under laws including the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the Information Technology Act and the Juvenile Justice Act.
The action comes as the investigation into the September 19 incident continues, with three minors arrested and around seven alleged perpetrators identified from the footage.
Police target online circulation of the footage
The Bihar Police issued an appeal on X urging the public not to circulate videos of minor victims, insult their dignity or disclose information that could reveal their identities.
A police officer said Section 23 of the POCSO Act prohibits the disclosure of a child's identity. Violation of the provision carries a punishment that can include imprisonment of six months to one year, a fine, or both.
Police have therefore asked social media users not to share the face, name or any other identifying information relating to a minor victim.
The latest action follows the registration of a case against approximately 120 social media profiles allegedly involved in circulating the Jamui footage. Police are examining the accounts and related digital evidence.
What happened in Jamui?
The case centres on two Class 10 students, a girl and a boy, who were returning from coaching classes in Jamui town on September 19.
The two, who are friends and study at the same coaching institute, travelled on a two-wheeler to a spot near Madwa hillock on the Jamui-Lakhisarai road to take photographs. They were allegedly intercepted by a group of local youths who confronted them in the name of so-called ‘moral policing’.
According to police and reports based on the viral footage, members of the group made vulgar comments, assaulted the boy and sexually harassed the girl while the two pleaded to be allowed to leave.
The incident was recorded on a mobile phone. The group allegedly threatened to upload the footage if the two reported what had happened.
The incident took place on September 19, but police said neither victim had approached them with a complaint by Sunday. The case came to wider attention after the footage began circulating online.
Vehicle number helped police trace victims
Jamui Police took suo motu cognisance of the video after it went viral and used the registration number of a vehicle visible in the footage to trace the two victims.
Jamui Superintendent of Police Bishwajeet Dayal said an FIR was subsequently registered under relevant provisions of the BNS and the POCSO Act. Police also initiated steps to remove the video from social media platforms.
The investigation has been assigned to a Special Investigation Team headed by Sub-Divisional Police Officer Deepti Monali.
Police have identified around seven people allegedly involved in the incident through analysis of the video. Three suspects, all minors, have been arrested, while efforts are continuing to trace the remaining suspects.
Police have also identified the man allegedly seen behaving indecently with the girl in the footage and are attempting to apprehend him.
National Commission for Women seeks report
The incident has also drawn the attention of the National Commission for Women (NCW), which has taken suo motu cognisance of the case.
The commission has sought a report from the Bihar DGP and called for action against those responsible. It has also urged authorities to prevent further circulation of material that could identify the minor victim.
The police investigation and efforts to trace the remaining suspects are continuing.
Rahul Gandhi demands POCSO action
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi described the incident as “deeply disturbing” and called for those identified in the footage to be prosecuted under the POCSO Act.
Gandhi also questioned the BJP-led Bihar government over the incident and asked why a girl was not safe on a public road.
In a post on X, he said, “This is not culture, it is patriarchy”, while alleging that such attitudes were being normalised by “andhbhakts”.
The incident has triggered widespread outrage after the footage spread across social media, with the police investigation now extending both to those allegedly involved in the original incident and to people accused of circulating material that reveals the victims' identities.