Video of minor girl being harassed in Bihar shared with false communal spin

(Trigger Warning: Mentions of physical assault and molestation. Reader discretion is advised.)

Context

A video circulating on social media claims that four Muslim men molested a Hindu girl in Bihar. The 52-second video depicts a group of men harassing a woman and dragging her on the ground. The post suggests that these men belong to the Muslim community.

Several users have shared the video, with one particular video, shared by a user called 'Shalini kumawat' amassing over 96k views and 2.9k likes. This account shared the video claiming that it showed "jihadis", a derogatory term used for members of the Muslim community, and criticized Bihar leaders for not paying attention. The accompanying tweet in Hindi translates to, "In Bihar, 4 Jihadis together dragged a Hindu girl and kept doing obscene acts. This is a common thing all over Bihar, everyday many Hindu families are migrating, but Nitish Kumar & Lalu family are engrossed in net caps and Eid seviyan!"

However, the claim is false. The perpetrators have been identified as Jitendra Kumar, Abhishek Kumar, and Nitish Kumar. Further, the police have denied any communal angle to the incident.

In Fact

A news portal named TRUE STORY shared the video on Twitter on May 30 and stated that the incident happened in Gulriachak village, within the jurisdiction of Magadh Medical Police Station in Gaya, Bihar. According to the portal, four to five men molested a girl in front of her male friend and later shared the video on social media. It also stated that while two accused had been arrested, the other individuals were identified.

Taking a cue from this, we found that Gaya Police shared the photos of the arrested perpetrators and issued a press statement on Twitter. The statement said that a case had been registered under IPC sections 294 (punishment for obscene acts, songs, ballads, or words), 509 (punishment for word, gesture, or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), 354B (punishment for assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), and IT Act 67 (punishment for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form) at Magadh Medical Police Station on May 29, 2023.

It added that two individuals had been arrested, and others involved in the incident had been identified. The statement also identified the arrested perpetrators as Jitendra Kumar and Abhishek Kumar, from Gulriachak village. The police have also stated that the girl's friend has been placed under protection and he will play an essential role in the investigation.

In another press statement issued by the Gaya Police on May 31, the police announced the arrest of the third suspect, Nitish Kumar. The statement added that a Twitter account named 'Shalini kumawat' (Hind Ki Nari) had shared the video with the intention of disturbing communal harmony and defaming the state of Bihar. The police added that they would have the post removed and would also take legal action against the account. The Bihar Police also said that the claims made in the post were false and warned people from believing such "rumor-mongering."

While unable to divulge any details about the survivor, who is a minor, Gaya Senior Superintendent of Police Ashish Bharti pointed Logically Facts towards the names of the perpetrators. "You can judge the caste of the boys from their names, and an investigation is underway. What I can tell you is the posts are false," he said.

The Verdict

A video of a woman being harassed by a group of men in Bihar is being falsely shared claiming that the perpetrators were Muslim. The Bihar Police have arrested three individuals, who have been identified as Jitendra Kumar, Abhishek Kumar, and Nitish Kumar. Therefore, we have marked the claim as false.

(Editor's Note: We have refrained from using links to articles, posts that carry the video.)