A case has been registered in Bihar's Banka district against six unidentified young men after a video on social media showed a woman being harassed and assaulted.
The incident took place at Mandar Hill, a popular tourist and pilgrimage there, according to the police. The viral footage circulating on social media bears a timestamp indicating that it was recorded on September 3.
In the video clip, the accused can be seen behaving indecently with the woman and hitting her with a slipper. Police received the video through their social media cell on September 22, the local police station in-charge said.
Following the video's circulation, the police reached Mandar Hill to verify its authenticity.
The team reached the site and verified that it was indeed the spot seen in the video.
Police questioned local residents and shopkeepers around Mandar Hill in an attempt to identify the accused and the woman seen in the video.
The police filed a case on their own under Sections 74 (use of criminal force against a woman with the intent to outrage her modesty), 75 (sexual harassment), 76 (use of criminal force against a woman with the intent to disrobe her) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Sections 66E and 67A of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
Police have taken the viral video on record as evidence. Further legal action will be taken based on the findings of the investigation.
The clip surfaced days after a teenage boy and girl returning from coaching classes in Bihar's Jamui were stopped by a group of men, surrounded, questioned and subjected to physical assault and molestation before being allowed to leave.
The crime was recorded on camera by the accused themselves and later went viral.
The clip showed the girl being sexually harassed and her friend pleading with the accused to let her go. The incident took place on September 19.
Police on Tuesday, September 22, claimed to have nabbed the "two main accused" in the case.
The duo were taken into custody following an encounter in which they were injured. With this, the total number of people held in connection with the Jamui incident reached at least five, including three minors.
