In a shocking incident highlighting communal tensions, two individuals have been arrested in Bihar’s Nawada district for harassing a Muslim woman and forcibly applying sindoor on her forehead.
Dharmendra Kumar and Bahadur Chaudhary were among a 15-member mob that gheraoed the woman and her male companion in the Madhopor, Charki Pahad, Kamalpur area. The group allegedly forced the woman to remove her niqab and compelled her relative to apply sindoor—a traditional Hindu marital ritual—multiple times.
The incident took place when the woman, a Muslim, was returning home after appearing for an examination. She and her male companion, also a Muslim and a relative, stopped to rest under a tree near Charki Pahad.
The mob approached them, began harassing the duo, and ignored the woman’s repeated pleas to stop. A video of the distressing event surfaced on social media on July 8, showing the woman’s desperate appeals falling on deaf ears.
Nawada Police have identified all 15 individuals involved and arrested two so far. A search is underway to nab the remaining accused. Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Rahul Singh confirmed that both the woman and her companion are Muslims.
The duo tried to escape on a motorcycle, but the mob pursued them and recorded videos without consent. The motorcycle was registered in the name of Parvati Devi of Rajauli, who informed police that she had sold it earlier to Feroza Khatoon of Sirdala area.
Further investigations are ongoing to bring all perpetrators to justice and ensure accountability for the communal harassment. The case has sparked concerns over rising intolerance and women’s safety in the region.