A shocking incident happened in Bihar, where a rapist of a minor girl was let go by the village panchayat after a ‘punishment‘ of five sit-ups. After the video of the sit-ups emerged on social media and it went viral, police registered a case and promise action.
The incident happened in Kannauj village under Akbarpur police station in Bihar’s Nawada district, where a five-year-old girl was raped by the owner of a poultry farm in the village. On 21 November, the man lured the minor girl with some gifts and took her to his poultry farm. There, he sexually molested her.
However, when the girl reached her home, she narrated the incident to her family members. The girl’s father lives somewhere else for work, and her uncle discussed the matter with fellow villagers, preparing to go to the police station.
In the meanwhile, the accused approached his boss, who is the former head of the village, requesting to save him. That person took the matter into his hand and convinced the village panchayat to handle the matter instead. Accordingly, the panchayat decided to take the case and deliver justice themselves instead of reporting it to the police. They conducted a ‘hearing’, found the man guilty, and as punishment, they asked him to do sit-ups just five times.
नवादा जिले में रेप के आरोपी को अनोखी सजा…देखकर आप भी हो जाएंगे हैरान.. pic.twitter.com/bopmZFkKap
— NBT Bihar (@NBTBihar) November 23, 2022
Accordingly, the accused did five sit-ups at the Panchayat meeting, and his punishment was over. His entire punishment was captured in a 14-second video. After that, he was discharged by the Panchayat. The accused has been identified as one Arun Pandit in media reports. In the video, the accused is seen doing sit-ups. In this viral video, it can be clearly seen that a large number of people are sitting and a man wearing a shawl is doing sit-ups.
It is also alleged that there was some ‘give and take, and the victim’s family was managed. However, some villagers were outraged at this decision, saying that the punishment was too small for a grave crime.
Someone among them sent the video to the media, in the hope of catching the attention of authorities. After the video made its way to social media, it became viral, outraging the netizens. The video also reached the police, after which the local police filed a case and started a probe.
The viral video of the panchayat alledgedly settling the rape case by way of a light punishment for the accused drew outrage from netizens.
— First India (@thefirstindia) November 25, 2022
“On the basis of the viral video, an FIR was registered on the order of the Nawada SP,” the officer added.
After the police came across the video, Nawada SP Gaurav Mangla ordered to register a case and initiate a probe. An officer in the local police station said, “A village panchayat was called and the matter settled after the youth accused of raping a minor girl was made to do five sit-ups. A video purportedly showing the youth doing sit-ups went viral on social media. On the basis of the viral video, an FIR was registered on the order of the Nawada SP.”
Locals say that it is not right to suppress such a disgusting and inhuman case. There is a POCSO law for those who misbehave with a 5-year-old innocent. There is a provision of punishment up to life imprisonment, but here the case was settled by doing sit-ups only five times.
