Bihar privacy controversy involving Jamui victim

A controversy has emerged in Bihar regarding the privacy of a minor victim involved in a harassment case in Jamui. Following an incident on September 19 where a minor boy and girl were reportedly assaulted, a dispute arose over the disclosure of the victim’s identity.

Opposition leaders, including Tejashwi Yadav and MP Misa Bharti, accused Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary of violating the POCSO Act by sharing a photograph of the victim and her family on his official social media handle. While the post was removed, critics argued it breached Section 23 of the POCSO Act (2012), which mandates victim confidentiality.

An FIR has been registered against Sagar Prasad, a stenographer in the Chief Minister’s Office, for allegedly uploading the images to the X platform. Prasad faces charges under the POCSO Act and the Information Technology Act. While opposition members have criticized the administration for not taking direct action against the Chief Minister’s office itself, the victim’s parents have stated that the Chief Minister assured them of security and education for the girl.

In a related development, police have taken action against approximately 120 other social media profiles for circulating videos that identified the minor.