Banka: Six unidentified men have been booked after a video purportedly showing a woman being harassed and assaulted at Mandar Hill, a popular tourist site in Bihar’s Banka district, surfaced online, prompting police to launch an investigation.
The video, which has circulated on social media, allegedly shows a group of men surrounding the woman and behaving indecently with her. One of the men is seen apparently striking her with a slipper. Police have taken the footage into account as part of their investigation and are working to identify those seen in it.
According to police, the video came to their attention on September 22, when it was received through the Bounsi police station’s social media channel. A police team subsequently visited Mandar Hill and verified that the location shown in the footage was the tourist spot.
An FIR has been registered against six unidentified persons. Police have questioned villagers and shopkeepers around Mandar Hill in an effort to establish the identities of the men visible in the video.
The case has been registered under Sections 74, 75, 76 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with Sections 66E and 67A of the Information Technology Act.
Police are also investigating the identity of the woman seen in the footage and the circumstances surrounding the incident.
There is some uncertainty over when the incident actually took place. While the video reportedly carries a September 3 date, a police based report has raised the possibility that the footage could be older. Investigators are examining the video and other information to establish the exact date of the incident.
As of the latest reports, the six men named in the FIR had not been publicly identified, and the investigation was continuing.
The incident has also raised concerns over security at Mandar Hill, which attracts visitors and tourists. Police are continuing efforts to identify the suspects and establish the full sequence of events shown in the viral footage.
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