Woman Allegedly Raped, Forced to Lick Sputum by Panchayat in Bihar

BEGUSARAI: A woman was allegedly forced to lick sputum in front of a panchayat in a village under Balia police station limits in Bihar's Begusarai district. The woman, a mother of two, was allegedly raped by a co-villager. However, instead of treating her as a rape survivor, the local panchayat accused her of having an illicit relationship and allegedly coerced her into licking sputum. The incident dates back to June 5 but came to light after a video of the episode went viral on social media platforms on Saturday. Begusarai DSP (HQ) Nikhil Kumar said on Sunday that an FIR in the case was registered on July 31. "The veracity of the video is being examined. The rape accused is absconding. Police will take action against the guilty persons if the video is found to be genuine," he said.

In the video, the woman can be seen holding her ears and being asked to kneel and lick sputum on an open ground in the presence of several villagers, none of whom appeared to object. Ruchi (name changed), in her complaint, alleged that Nitish, her neighbour, forcibly raped her at her house on the nights of June 2 and June 4. However, when the accused was fleeing her house after the alleged rape, some villagers saw him but held her responsible instead. Ruchi's husband works as a labourer in Tamil Nadu. She said she initially chose to remain silent but later informed her husband about the incident over the phone. Ruchi alleged that she was ordered to lick sputum in the presence of Sanjay Yadav, son of the local ward councillor, and Nitish's mother. She further alleged that police initially refused to register her FIR when she and her husband approached the local police station. According to her, the complaint was lodged only after the incident went viral on social media platforms.