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Jamui: The prime suspect in the molestation and assault of two Class 10 students in Bihar’s Jamui district was injured in a police encounter on Tuesday and subsequently arrested, according to police.
Nandan Yadav, identified as the main accused, is believed to have sustained a gunshot wound to his leg during the exchange of fire. He was taken into custody along with another suspect, taking the total number of arrests in the case to five, police said. Seven individuals have so far been identified in connection with the incident, as reported by The New Indian Express.
Encounter And SIT Raids
Jamui SP Bishwajeet Dayal verified that Yadav was hit by a bullet in the course of the confrontation. He added that a woman officer-led Special Investigation Team (SIT) had been carrying out search operations to nab all the suspects.
The episode unfolded on September 19, as the teenage girl and her male friend were waylaid by a band of youths close to Mawara Hill, on Jamui’s periphery, while heading back from a tuition centre. The pair were reportedly beaten up and the girl was subjected to molestation. Footage of the assault, filmed by the perpetrators, subsequently went viral on social platforms.
In one clip, a face-masked man is seen attacking the girl and trying to drag her off, even as the boy begs the group to release them. Following this, police zeroed in on several of those allegedly involved and constituted a special probe squad to hunt down the rest of the accused.
FIRs, Social Media Clampdown & Political Row
Law enforcement agencies took cognisance of the matter only after the clips started doing the rounds extensively. The minor’s statement was documented at her home, and a case was lodged invoking sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Action has also been initiated against individuals sharing the footage. As per a police communique issued on Tuesday, FIRs have been filed against handlers of 132 social-media accounts for allegedly revealing or potentially revealing the identity of the minor victim.
Officials have urged the public to refrain from circulating the videos or any content that could expose the identities of the survivors.
The episode has ignited a political storm, with Opposition figures, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Bihar assembly Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, calling for stringent measures against the offenders. Both leaders voiced alarm over the escalating violence against women in Bihar.
BJP leader Arvind Kumar stated that moves were afoot to apprehend the remaining suspects in the case.