POLICE ARREST MEN OVER ASSAULT ON TEENAGERS IN BIHAR, INDIA

A group of men surrounded two teenagers, both minors, in Jamui district, Bihar, on 19 September as they rode home from a coaching class on a scooter, police said. Footage that later circulated online showed the group slapping the boy and pulling him by his collar, while one man grabbed the girl by the neck, lifted her off the ground and sexually assaulted her. The boy tried to intervene as the assault took place. The men forced the pair to repeatedly apologise before telling them to leave. The footage did not emerge until two days later, prompting outrage across India.

Jamui police said the assault took place around 7pm and neither teenager reported it; officers traced the pair via a vehicle registration number seen in the footage before recording their statements. Police registered a case under India's Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, alongside criminal code sections covering assault, following a written complaint from the girl. Jamui superintendent of police Vishwajeet Dayal said police shot the main suspect, Nandan Yadav, in the leg on Tuesday after he allegedly fled a search near Madwa Hill. One report said police had arrested six men, while another said officers had detained three suspects, all minors, and continued searching for the rest.

The case has prompted debate about the safety of women and girls in Bihar and criticism of the state government's response. Bihar minister Shravan Kumar said "sporadic incidents keep happening" and that those responsible would face strict action. Umesh Kushwaha, of the governing Janata Dal (United), faced criticism for calling such cases "isolated incidents". He later said his remarks had been "distorted and misrepresented" and promised action against those responsible.