After Jamui, Samastipur, Another Girl Harassment Video Surfaces From Bihar's Banka; FIR Against 6

Bihar: Days after harassment incidents in Jamui and Samastipur, another video showing the alleged harassment of a woman has surfaced from Bihar's Banka district, prompting police to register a case against six unidentified youths.

The video, which reportedly shows a young woman being harassed at the historic Mandar Hill tourist site, came to the attention of the police through their social media cell on September 22. According to the police complaint, the footage shows six unidentified individuals allegedly engaging in indecent acts with the woman and hitting her with a slipper.

Police Verify Mandar Hill Location

Police have registered a case against six unidentified youths after a video purportedly showing them allegedly behaving indecently with and assaulting a young woman at Mandar Hill, a prominent historical tourist site in Banka, went viral on social media, officials said.

The video, dated September 3, allegedly shows several youths behaving indecently with the woman and assaulting her with a slipper. It came to the attention of police on September 22 through the social media cell, following which Bounsi police initiated an investigation into the incident.

According to the FIR, the viral video was received at around 2:45 pm on September 22 on the WhatsApp number of Bounsi Station House Officer (SHO) Pankaj Kumar Jha. Following directions from senior officials, Jha, along with a police team, reached Mandar Hill at around 3 pm and verified the location shown in the video.

The police investigation confirmed that the video had been filmed at Mandar Hill.

FIR Registered Under BNS and IT Act

The FIR states that six unidentified youths were allegedly involved in "indecent behaviour and obscene acts" with the young woman. It further states that the incident was recorded on video and later circulated on social media.

After verifying the location and the video, police launched efforts to identify both the youths and the woman featured in it. Villagers residing near Mandar Hill and local shopkeepers were questioned as part of the investigation.

Police said local shopkeepers indicated that the youths seen in the video appeared to be young men, but none could be clearly identified when the FIR was registered.

Bounsi SHO Pankaj Kumar Jha subsequently registered an FIR against six unidentified youths on the basis of his own statement. Police have included the viral video as crucial evidence in the investigation.

A case has been registered under Sections 74, 75, 76 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Sections 66E and 67A of the Information Technology Act, 2000. Police are now working to identify the accused based on their faces visible in the viral video and other available evidence.

Third Such Incident Reported in Bihar

The Banka case comes amid reports of similar alleged harassment incidents in other parts of Bihar.

In Jamui, a video showing a Class 10 girl allegedly being harassed and assaulted by a group of youths surfaced on social media earlier this week. Police registered a case and arrested three individuals, while investigations continued to identify others allegedly involved.

A separate video subsequently emerged from Samastipur, where a girl was allegedly harassed by a group of youths on a public road. Police detained five people for questioning and began investigating the footage, including the identities and roles of those seen in the video.

The latest case from Banka has added to the scrutiny surrounding the safety of women at public and tourist locations in Bihar. Police are continuing their investigation into the Mandar Hill footage.

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