Outrage in India over viral video of teen molested and her friend beaten

A video showing a teenaged girl being sexually assaulted and her male friend beaten by a group of men in India's Bihar state has sparked widespread outrage.

The school students, both minors, were stopped in Jamui district on 19 September. Footage shared widely online shows them surrounded and repeatedly pleading to be allowed to leave.

The boy is seen being slapped and pulled by his collar, while the girl is touched inappropriately and, in another clip, carried away by a man as the boy tries to intervene.

Three accused, also minors, have been arrested in connection with the assault. A special investigation team has been set up to catch the other suspects.

The disturbing footage has prompted anger over the harassment of the two teenagers and renewed a wider debate about the safety of women and girls in Bihar, as well as questions over the response of state authorities.

The outrage intensified after Bihar minister Shravan Kumar said that "sporadic incidents keep happening" and that the government was keeping a watch on them.

"The world is not entirely free of crime," he said, adding that those responsible would not be allowed to escape and would face strict action.

Umesh Kushwaha, of the governing Janata Dal (United), also faced criticism after referring to such cases as "isolated incidents" and contrasting the government's record with that of the previous RJD administration.