In yet another instance of heart-wrenching mass violence in India, which has plagued many parts of the sub-continent, a mob publicly humiliated a boy and girl from Bihar’s Supaul district for their alleged affair. According to Indian media, the mob furiously beat the girl, tore off part of her clothing, and forced her to walk around in tattered clothes. They also mistreated the boy, stripping him of his clothes and forcing him to roam the streets. This horrific act has once more, drawn attention to the upsurge in lynching in rural areas of India, eliciting fears of the deterioration of law and order in such places.
Details of the Assault
Several online portals recorded and posted this footage, which became an even richer source of provocation than the first video. A mob grips the girl’s hair with both hands, and the angry crowd beats her up. Respective the boy, the same gang beat him up making him completely naked, and walked on the road sporting a bikini.
The attackers left the girl outside her home after the horrible beating. Their relatives who were deeply affected by the ordeal went straight to the local police and complained. The police have since confirmed that indeed there were mobs that beat people over the controversy surrounding the boy and the girl.
Police response and ongoing investigation
The police responded to the complaint by conducting preliminary processes to verify its truth. They have already arrested one of the suspects in the assault. They are interviewing more individuals and collecting photos from the scene to identify other members of the mob involved in this disgraceful and violent act. The police promised to punish those directly responsible for the events and take further steps to prevent such incidents from happening again.
The case has raised the concern over the tendency of mob justice in the rural parts of India where people can take law into their own hands. In that people who have had an inappropriate relationship or whose actions are against the societal norm, it is unfortunate that people who have engaged in this behavior seek to bring the offenders out for punishment.
The Rise of Lynching in India
This is just an instance; mob violence has also surged in India within the past few years. There are several instances where self-styled organizations set out to carry out justice on their own where such groups have no mandate whatsoever to administer punishment. These are not only illegal actions but, in the case of the victims, are also gross violations of basic human rights that impact permanently on and tarnish the sense of security and personal respect of the individuals concerned – the utilized victims.
Through social networking sites, the character of society has influenced people not only in ownership of such content but also in acting out the same simulations that they have watched in the videos. The dissemination of these videos tends to make the violence almost routine and incites many more cases of the same.
The case in Supaul district, where people publicly shamed a boy and a girl over their clandestine relationship, highlights a glaring gap in legislation. Due to this gap, violent acts often go unpunished. Applauding the swift apprehension of one of the suspects is well-deserved, but there is still much to be done to address this menace fully. There is a requirement for strengthening the rule of law to avoid this brutal public shaming of an individual and violence against the individual under discussion who is the fundamental possessor of human rights.
