An FIR has been registered against a stenographer working in the Bihar Chief Minister’s Office for allegedly uploading photographs of a minor involved in the Jamui molestation case and her family on social media.
Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Kartikeya Kumar Sharma said on Friday that the stenographer, identified as Sagar Kumar, has been booked under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in connection with the alleged disclosure of the minor survivor’s identity.
According to the police, photographs of the Jamui victim were uploaded on the X account associated with the Chief Minister’s Office. The post was later deleted.
The development came amid a political controversy over the handling of the case. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Misa Bharti had approached the Secretariat police station in Patna, seeking registration of a complaint over the alleged disclosure of the minor’s identity.
Misa Bharti alleged that the identity of the Class 10 student, who was allegedly molested in Jamui, had been revealed through the social media post. She sought action under Section 23 of the POCSO Act, 2012, and Section 74 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015.
The Patliputra MP also alleged that the station house officer initially refused to register her complaint. The police have now said that her complaint will form part of the investigation into the matter.
Speaking to reporters, Bharti questioned whether the Chief Minister had violated provisions of the POCSO Act by allowing photographs of the minor and her family to be posted online. She said the social media post was subsequently removed, while cases had also been registered against people accused of circulating videos related to the Jamui incident.
The controversy has also drawn a response from senior RJD leaders. RJD working president and Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Yadav demanded that a case under the same legal provisions be registered against Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary. He accused the government of violating the provisions intended to protect the identity of child survivors.
The allegations against the Chief Minister have not been established by the police in the case registered against the stenographer. The FIR announced by the Patna police is against Sagar Kumar in connection with the alleged uploading of the photographs.
The ruling side has rejected the opposition's criticism. State Planning Minister and Janata Dal (United) leader Bhagwan Singh Kushwaha accused the RJD of unnecessarily raising the issue and said the opposition was attempting to turn the matter into a political controversy.
The Patna police have begun an investigation into the social media post and the circumstances surrounding its publication. Investigators are also expected to examine the complaint submitted by Misa Bharti as part of the probe.
The case has brought renewed attention to legal provisions protecting the identity and privacy of minors involved in sexual offence cases. Under the POCSO framework, authorities and others handling such cases are required to take precautions to prevent the identification of child survivors.
Further action will depend on the findings of the ongoing investigation.
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