Bihar man booked for raping 5-year-old after viral video of sit-ups as 'punishment'

The video showed the man with his face covered with a shawl doing five sit-ups as the 'punishment' given by the local panchayat

A man was booked in Bihar's Nawada district for allegedly raping a five-year-old girl after a video of him doing sit-ups as "punishment" given by a 'kangaroo court' for the crime went viral on social media, police said on Friday.

Raids are underway to nab the accused who is on the run, Nawada's Superintendent of Police Gaurav Mangla said.

The viral video, which was not independently verified by PTI, showed the man with his face covered with a shawl doing five sit-ups as the "punishment" given by the local panchayat.

A case under the Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) was filed against him after police got hold of the video, an officer of the Akabarpur police station said.

Offering her sweets, the man took the girl home and allegedly raped her, he said.

"After returning home, the girl narrated the incident to her uncle. Before the family could file a police complaint, the accused approached the former mukhiya or the village headman asking for help," the officer said.

"A meeting of the panchayat was called, allegedly on the instruction of the former mukhiya. And, the accused was told to do five sit-ups as punishment for the crime and let off," he said.