Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 22 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh minister Om Prakash Rajbhar, reacting to the alleged harassment of two minors in Bihar's Jamui, on Tuesday said that the rule of law prevails and those committing crimes will face action, while rejecting the description of the Bihar government as a "Jungle Raj" government.
"The rule of law prevails there. This is not a 'Jungle Raj' government... If a criminal commits a crime, action will be taken against them," Rajbhar said.
His remarks came amid a growing political reaction to the incident, after a video purportedly showing a minor girl and her male friend being stopped and harassed by a group of people in Jamui surfaced on social media. Police said the incident took place on the evening of September 19, and an FIR has been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Police have arrested three people so far and identified around seven alleged perpetrators from the video. A Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by Jamui Sub-Divisional Police Officer Deepti Monali, has been formed to identify and arrest the remaining suspects.
Bihar BJP president Sanjay Saraogi had earlier condemned the incident and highlighted the police action following the case coming to light.
"As soon as the incident came to the police's notice, the police themselves registered an FIR. Three arrests were made immediately; the police are conducting rapid, continuous raids to arrest the main accused. An SIT was formed, but such incidents are absolutely unacceptable in society. Only mentally disturbed individuals could commit such acts. No amount of condemnation is enough, but the administration acted immediately upon learning of it. The police swung into action the moment they found out, and the main accused will also be arrested soon," Saraogi said.
RJD leader and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav also reacted to the incident, questioning the law-and-order situation in the state.
"What used to happen during their rule and under their regime's patronage? Criminals used to receive protection... All sorts of things happened... Let the main accused be arrested; then these people won't have anywhere to hide their faces," Yadav said.
JD(U) spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad, meanwhile, defended the police response and said those involved should face imprisonment.
"... People who lead such lives, who are enemies of humanity, who have not even a shred of concern for civilisation, who have no character, their place is behind prison bars. And in Jamui, when identification was done on the basis of the viral video, the police proactively told the family members to file an FIR, and after that arrests were made rapidly. Some people are still left; their arrest will also happen very soon," Prasad said.
The case has also triggered action over the circulation of the purported video. Bihar Police have registered a separate case against social media profile holders accused of circulating footage that allegedly revealed the identity of the minor victim. Reports on Tuesday said action had been initiated against around 120 profiles.
The National Commission for Women has also taken suo motu cognisance of the incident and sought a report from the Bihar Police, while stressing the need to prevent further circulation of material that could reveal the identity of the minor.
The investigation remains underway, with police continuing raids to trace the remaining people allegedly involved in the incident. (ANI)
'Law will prevail, criminals will face action': Rajbhar on Jamui minor harassment case
