Bihar Police have registered FIRs against 120 social media account operators for allegedly revealing the identity of a minor girl and circulating her video on social media, which purportedly shows two minors being confronted and harassed by a group of people in Jamui.
Three suspects arrested
The police further appealed to the public to not share or repost videos of minor victims, revealing their identity, warning that it is a punishable offence under the POCSO Act, the IT Act, and the Juvenile Justice and Penal Code. Disseminating videos of minor victims, insulting their dignity, and revealing their identity is a punishable offense under the POCSO Act, the IT Act, and the Juvenile Justice and Penal Code. A Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by female Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), Deepti Monali, was formed to track the perpetrators. The police successfully identified around seven perpetrators using video analysis and arrested three suspects, who were identified as minors.
“It is known that under Section 23 of the POCSO Act, revealing the identity of a minor is prohibited. Violation of this carries a provision for imprisonment ranging from 6 months to 1 year, a fine, or both,” a police officer told reporters on Tuesday. The incident took place on September 19, while the disturbing footage of the harassment went viral across social media platforms, sparking intense nationwide outrage.
In a post on X, the official handle of Bihar Police said, “Appeal to the Public.
“Therefore, do not share the face, name, or any such information of any minor victim on social media that could make their identity public,” he added.
