It’s an utterly familiar scene by now, repeating itself outside gated colonies, metro stations, in markets, even at malls one would reckon across Indian towns and cities—a bunch of men huddled over a phone, watching a video of a woman being assaulted, not with shock or horror but with something resembling amusement and smugness. The unmistakable smirk and an arrogance that comes when someone agrees with the content they are viewing. And when they are caught looking, this smirk doesn’t leave their faces, even after an uncomfortable glance is exchanged.
The video in question, this time, was from Jamui, Bihar. Two class 10 students, a boy and a girl, were walking home from tuition on 19 September when a group of men stopped them, slapped the boy, and went after the girl while they both begged them to stop. Someone in their group filmed the whole thing.
The clip sat marinating with views and shares for two days before action was prompted.