Police begin probe into harassment of youth

Patna: An incident has surfaced from Muzaffarpur where a man accused of harassing a disabled woman was publicly humiliated by villagers. The accused’s head was shaved, his face blackened and he was paraded through the village in Aurai police station area.The incident is believed to have taken place on March 6 after the victim’s family and villagers learnt about the alleged harassment. A panchayat was convened in which the man was declared guilty and fined Rs5,001.Instead of reporting the matter to the police, villagers allegedly took the law in their hands. The man’s head was partially shaved, his face smeared with soot and a ‘gamchha’ tied around his neck before he was paraded through the village lanes as people watched.

Police said the accused, around 25 years old, is a resident of neighbouring Sitamarhi district and had been living in Aurai area for some time. He was accused of misbehaving with a disabled woman from the village.Taking cognisance of a video of the incident that went viral on social media, police began an investigation on Sunday.SDPO (East)-1 Alay Vats said, “The viral video has come to our notice and the matter is being investigated. No one has the right to take the law into their own hands. If it is found that the youth was punished by a panchayat in this manner, strict action will be taken against those involved.”He added that police are trying to identify those who played key roles in the panchayat and those who assaulted or humiliated the youth.So far, however, no formal complaint has been filed in the case.