Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday condemned the alleged harassment and molestation of two Class 10 students in Bihar’s Jamui district and questioned the delay in the arrest of those involved.
Reacting to a video circulating on social media, Gandhi said the incident was “deeply disturbing” and called for all those involved to be identified and prosecuted under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
“The video from Jamui, Bihar is deeply disturbing. Two Class 10 students were stopped on a road. Harassed. Humiliated. Molested,” Gandhi said in a post on X.
He questioned how such behaviour could take place on a public road and raised concerns over the safety of girls and women in public spaces.
“Who gave these men the right to behave like this?” he asked, alleging that such conduct reflected patriarchal attitudes rather than culture.
Gandhi also questioned the Bihar government over the incident and sought an explanation as to why the accused had not been arrested earlier if the incident took place on September 19.
The incident came to light after a video purportedly showing the alleged harassment of a teenage girl and boy surfaced on social media. The two, reportedly Class 10 students of a private school in Jamui town, were allegedly travelling on a scooter after attending coaching classes when they were stopped by a group of people.
According to police, the incident occurred in the border area between Jamui and Lakhisarai districts, near the jurisdiction of Jamui Town police station.
Police said they have initiated an investigation after the video came to their notice. Two people have been arrested in connection with the case and are being questioned. Efforts are underway to identify others allegedly involved in the incident.
DSP (Cyber) Abhishek Kumar said police had taken cognisance of the matter and that an investigation was in progress. He said preliminary information suggested that the incident took place in the border area between Jamui and Lakhisarai.
The officer said the exact circumstances and other details would become clear as the investigation progresses.
Police are also examining the video and other available evidence to establish the sequence of events and identify all those allegedly involved.
The authenticity and complete circumstances surrounding the video could not be independently verified.
