Archive · 21 Sep 2026
Bihar Minister Defends Law and Order After Jamui Harassment
A teenage boy and a girl were allegedly harassed by villagers in Jamui, Bihar.
Someone recorded the incident, and the video later spread online.
Police arrested three people and said they had identified about seven suspected participants.
Officers were searching for the others.
The case was filed under laws protecting children and other relevant criminal laws.
Union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh said this was an individual incident and did not show that Bihar was generally unsafe.
Opposition politicians disagreed and said the incident showed a serious law-and-order problem.
They demanded accountability and strong punishment for anyone found responsible.
The investigation is continuing.
Union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh said an individual incident should not define Bihar’s overall law-and-order situation.
Police arrested three people and identified about seven alleged perpetrators after a video of the Jamui incident went viral.
The FIR invokes the POCSO Act and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Opposition leaders condemned the alleged harassment and accused the Bihar government of failing to protect women.
Authorities said a Special Investigation Team was conducting raids and working to remove the video from social media.
- Who
- A teenage boy and a girl were allegedly harassed; police identified about seven alleged perpetrators and arrested three. Union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh defended the Bihar government, while opposition leaders criticized it.
- What
- An alleged roadside harassment incident was recorded on video, prompting arrests, an investigation, and political debate over Bihar’s law and order.
- When
- The incident allegedly occurred on September 19 in the evening; the video went viral on Monday, when three arrests were announced.
- Where
- Jamui district, Bihar.
- Why
- Police are investigating the alleged harassment and identifying those involved; politicians reacted differently to what the incident says about Bihar’s safety and governance.
Government defense
Opposition criticism
Meaning of the incident
Government defense
Rajiv Ranjan Singh said individual incidents can happen but should not be used to question Bihar’s overall law-and-order situation, which he described as secure.
Opposition criticism
Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi Yadav, the Indian National Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party, and the Trinamool Congress, said the incident reflected patriarchy, insecurity, or a broader failure of governance.
Women’s safety in Bihar
Government defense
Singh said women are now able to move around Bihar late at night and contrasted this with what he described as fear among women during the Rashtriya Janata Dal’s earlier 15-year rule.
Opposition criticism
Critics rejected the government’s broader claims and argued that the alleged public harassment demonstrated that women’s safety and dignity remain serious concerns.
Political accountability
Government defense
The government emphasized police action, including arrests, raids, and the investigation by a woman-led Special Investigation Team.
Opposition criticism
The Indian National Congress in Jharkhand demanded Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary’s resignation, while other opposition figures called for firm action and punishment without political interference.
- Incident location
- Jamui district, Bihar
- Reported incident date
- September 19, in the evening
- Arrests
- Three people arrested
- Suspects identified
- About seven alleged perpetrators identified from the video
- Investigation
- A Special Investigation Team led by Sub-Divisional Police Officer Deepti Monali is conducting raids
- Legal provisions
- The FIR cites the POCSO Act and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita
- Victim contact
- Police said no complaint had been filed by the boy or girl until Sunday; they were later traced using a vehicle registration number visible in the video