Bihar Police Arrests Additional Suspects in Nalanda Assault Case
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Patna, April 1 (NationPress) In a rapid response to the alleged molestation and attempted sexual assault of a married woman in the Nalanda district, the Bihar Police have apprehended eight suspects to date, according to SP Bharat Soni, who provided updates on Wednesday.
The incident occurred in a village under the jurisdiction of the Noorsarai police station and gained notoriety after a distressing video of the event circulated widely on social media.
In a statement, Nalanda's Superintendent of Police, Bharat Soni, confirmed that six additional suspects were arrested following the initial two arrests, increasing the total number of apprehensions to eight.
Reports indicate that the assault took place on March 26, when the victim was returning home after shopping for groceries.
A group of offenders is said to have intercepted her, subjected her to verbal abuse, and attempted to sexually assault her.
As the woman fought back and cried for help, the suspects allegedly molested her, restrained her on the ground, and attempted to gang-rape her.
The assailants also ripped her clothing and recorded the incident without her consent, subsequently distributing the video online with the intent to degrade her.
Initial investigations indicate that the victim had previously faced harassment from certain individuals in the village.
The police acted swiftly after the video emerged, initiating an investigation and executing numerous raids that led to the arrests.
Those detained include Shailesh Kumar, Dashrath Chaudhary, Ranjan Paswan, Sachin Kumar, Doman Paswan, and Sonu Kumar.
Earlier, two suspects—Ashok Yadav and Matlu Mahto, also known as Navneet Kumar Narottam—had already been arrested.
Ongoing investigations and legal actions are in progress, with police officials promising stringent measures against all those implicated in the case.
An FIR has been lodged against all three primary suspects at the Noorsarai police station under relevant charges, including molestation, outraging the modesty of a woman, attempted rape, intimidation of the victim, and violations under the IT Act.
The victim lives in the village with her in-laws, while her husband is employed in Maharashtra.
This incident has raised significant concerns regarding the increasing misuse of digital platforms to shame victims.