Bihar: Girls thrashed for resisting molestors, SC raps state for rising crime against women

The Bihar police has arrested nine boys, including a minor, for beating up more than 30 girls in a government school in Supaul district after they resisted sexual advances. The police said they are in the process of identifying more people who were involved in the attack.

“We are collecting documents to identify others involved in this case. We don't want any innocent person to get caught in this,” said Assistant Superintendent of Police, Trivenniganj, reported ANI.

The Supreme Court, on Monday, expressed concern over the incident. “All these newspaper reports are not good. Skeleton of girls found... 34 girls beaten up because they wanted to protect themselves from molestation. How could you treat children like this? These kinds of problems are arising day in and day out,” said the Supreme Court.

The state's opposition party, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), has questioned the Nitish Kumar-led government silence on the issue. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said that the CM Nitish Kumar continues to maintain silence on the issue just as he did in the Muzaffarpur shelter home rape cases.

RJD leader Jai Prakash Narayan Yadav said the state government has gone into a deep sleep like Kumbhkarna’s slumber.

The incident happened when a group of youths forcibly entered the Kasturba Awasiya Balika Vidyalay on Saturday evening with the intention of molesting the girls. In the ensuing fracas, 34 girls were injured and have been admitted to a hospital.

“Action will be taken against the accused and security arrangements will be made at the school,” said District Magistrate Baidyanath Yadav.

Boys from a nearby village were reportedly in the habit of harassing the girls. They would pass lewd remarks and write vulgar comments on the school wall. No action was taken against them even after the girls complained about it to the school administration.

On Saturday, some girls caught a man who was trying to write a vulgar comment on the school wall. Seeing this, they scolded him. However, after some time, a mob of about two dozen people, armed with sticks, attacked the school. In the ensuing fracas, the girls were beaten up and the mob vandalised the school property too.