Jharkhand orders probe into stripping of college girl

The Jharkhand government on Tuesday ordered a probe into the stripping of a college student in Dumka district, an official release said.

Chief Minister Raghubar Das asked officials to investigate the incident and take stern action against the culprits, it said.

A three-member team will investigate the August 4 incident in which a first year BA student from a women's college was stripped by other students on the charge of stealing a mobile.

According to the police, the stripping was ordered at a "mahapanchayat" after some girls found the victim carrying a mobile that went missing a few days back. The girls suspected that it was the same mobile.

The "mahapanchayat" called in the college on August 4 accused the victim of stealing. They ordered her to be "beaten and stripped". Some girls made videos and took photographs of this, the police said.

They threatened to post the video clips on the social media if Rs 18,600 was not paid.

The father of the victim got information and reached the college. He tried to pacify the girls and promised to pay the money by selling his ox.

He sought time till August 25, but the video clips were made public.

When the videos went viral, the victim approached the college administration, police and others for justice, but nothing happened.

When the issue was raised in the media, the state government swung into action.

An FIR was lodged and other girls in the college were being interrogated, the police said. No arrest has been done so far.

--IANS

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