HATE CRIME
A Muslim woman was allegedly forced to remove her niqab and publicly humiliated by a group of Hindutva supporters after she was seen with a Hindu man in Bihar’s Nawada district, according to a video circulating on social media that has prompted widespread criticism online.
The incident, reported to have occurred last week in Kamalpur village in Nawada, came to public attention on Thursday after the video was widely shared including by fact checker Mohammmed Zubair. The footage appears to show the woman repeatedly pleading with the group to stop while they filmed her and allegedly subjected her to religious intimidation.
According to the video, the group also allegedly compelled the woman’s Hindu companion to apply sindoor to her forehead while recording the incident.
As the woman objected, one of the men can be heard saying, “Video to banega. Saboot to rahega“ (“We will make the video. There should be evidence”), before others allegedly removed her niqab and exposed her forehead. Voices in the video can also be heard shouting “Jai Bajranbali.”
The man accompanying the woman is seen urging the group not to harass her.
Ignoring his requests, one of the alleged harassers says, “Arey, tum idhar sindoor daalo aur phir Muslim rivaaz mein karte rehna” (“Apply the sindoor here. You can get married in the Muslim way later.”)
The video also appears to show the group continuing to follow and film the pair as they walked away.
Police in Nawada said they had obtained the viral video and had launched an inquiry into the incident. Authorities said they were verifying the authenticity of the footage and were attempting to contact the woman to record her statement.
The incident has raised tensions in the area, with further details expected as the investigation continues.
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