"What kind of governance is this?": Congress' Udit Raj slams Bihar govt over Jamui incident

Reacting to a viral video purportedly showing a teenage boy being assaulted and a girl being groped, Raj referred to previous cases involving alleged crimes against minors and questioned the government's response to such incidents.

What became of the girl student who was murdered in a hostel? Minor girls were raped in a hostel in Muzaffarpur; names of well-known people had surfaced. But the matter died down. Compared to them, the Jamui case is not that big, Raj told ANI.

He then targeted the Bihar government over the law and order situation, saying, When a murder accused is the CM of the state, it is not difficult to imagine the condition in Bihar.

When forces of social justice are in power, like Lalu Yadav or RJD-Congress, the media sees 'Jungle Raj' there. Otherwise, it is 'Mangal Raj' there. Law and order has deteriorated in Bihar, he added.

Congress MP Manoj Kumar also criticised the Bihar government over the incident and questioned claims about the state's law and order.

The incident that took place in Jamui, Bihar, is one that shames humanity. It is a heart-wrenching incident, Kumar said.

Referring to recent claims about governance in the state, he said, Just a day or two ago, I saw several peopleincluding the local MPclaiming from the stage that 'Ram Rajya' prevails and that no one can harass girls or women anymore.

I want to ask them a direct question: this incident occurred in their own parliamentary constituency, so what kind of 'rule' is this? You used to talk a lot about 'Jungle Raj'; tell me, what kind of governance is this? he said.

Kumar also referred to an earlier statement attributed to the Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary regarding his response to such incidents.

The current Chief Minister of Bihar used to say that if such an incident came to light, he would resign and step down from his post. I have a direct question for you: what do you have to say about this? he asked.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Sushil Kumar Singh on Tuesday condemned the incident, saying it was "extremely shameful and deeply disturbing" and called for swift legal action and a fast-track trial against those found guilty.

"Such action should be taken against such people that it feels like real action was taken. And there should be a fear of the law. The fear of the law should be such that criminals are terrified of it and ordinary people consider the law to be their protector," he told ANI.

Singh said the incident had brought shame to Bihar and strongly condemned those involved.

"Whoever the people were who did this, I strongly condemn it," he said.

He called for the case to be taken to a fast-track court and for a verdict to be delivered at the earliest.

"Swift action should be taken, the case should be taken to a fast-track court, and a verdict should be delivered as soon as possible so that a message goes out to society about how serious the government is about law and order and how concerned it is. The government should quickly ensure the culprits are punished through the courts to send a strong message to society and instill fear in criminals," Singh said.

The remarks came after a video purportedly showing a minor girl and her male companion being harassed and molested by a group of youths in Jamui went viral on social media.

ADG (Law and Order) KS Anupam said the incident took place on September 19 and that police had recorded the girl's statement before making arrests.

On the 19th, a minor girl had gone to take photographs with her friend in Jamui. At that time, some minor students and youths arrived there and molested the girl. Upon receiving the information, the police visited the girl's home and recorded her statement. Subsequently, the Jamui police have apprehended three minors. Information regarding the involvement of two other individuals has also been received. A case has been registered under various sections, including the POCSO Act, Anupam said on Monday.

Jamui SP Vishwajeet Dayal said three persons had been taken into custody and two others had been identified.

An FIR has been registered regarding the incident of molestation and indecent behavior by anti-social elements shown in the video, and a SIT has been constituted under the leadership of the Sub-Divisional Police Officer of Jamui; the team is conducting continuous raids. Based on identifications made from the video, three individuals have been taken into custody. Two others have been identified, and efforts are underway to arrest them as well, the SP said.

The SP said six to seven individuals were visible in the video and that the main accused, who allegedly behaved indecently with the woman, had been identified.

A video went viral this morning, and we received it as well. Based on that video, we identified the victim and recorded her statement. It was revealed that the incident took place around 7 PM on the 19th, showing some youths from the village engaging in molestation. Six or seven individuals are visible in the video. We have identified some of them, Dayal said.

On the main accused, he said, As for the main accused the one who appears to have behaved indecently with the woman he has been identified, and we are making efforts to arrest him soon; we are actively working on this.

The incident has triggered a political controversy in Bihar, with Opposition parties targeting the BJP-led government over women's safety and the handling of the case.

RJD leader and Bihar Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav also took a satirical swipe at Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, alleging that caste and political considerations could influence the investigation.

In a post on X, Yadav imagined a conversation between the Chief Minister and a police officer and wrote, CM:- Do something, dig up a Muslim and Yadav angle, whatever it takes. Police:- Sir, its tough CM:- Well suspend you, do what I said! Frame some accused from a liquor or murder case into this one, but do something.

BJP and JD(U) leaders, meanwhile, said the incident should not be politicised and maintained that action was being taken against those found responsible.

Meanwhile, the National Commission for Women has taken suo motu cognizance of the incident and directed the Bihar DGP to ensure identification and arrest of the accused and a time-bound, impartial investigation. (ANI)