Patna: Police have identified three youths accused of allegedly harassing, threatening and extorting money from a girl and her friends at Mandar Hill in Banka district, after a video of the incident surfaced online on Sept 22. An FIR has been registered and raids are underway to arrest the accused, said police.According to police, the incident occurred on June 3 but came to light after the video went viral. The footage was brought to the notice of Bounsi police through WhatsApp on Sept 22. A team led by Bounsi SHO Pankaj Kumar verified that the video was shot at Mandar Hill, a popular tourist destination.Police said the girl had visited the hill with two friends when the accused allegedly stopped them, misbehaved with her, abused the trio and threatened them. One of the accused, identified as Abdullah, allegedly forced one of the girl’s friends to transfer Rs 1,500 online before letting them leave.While some youths have been detained for questioning, the three named accused remain absconding. Police initially registered a case against unidentified persons and later identified the accused using the viral video and other evidence. The victim’s statement was recorded on Friday.Banka SP Amitesh Kumar said the accused seen in the footage had been identified and raids were underway to apprehend them. “Police are examining all aspects of the case and further action will be taken based on the evidence collected. An FIR has been registered at Bounsi police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act. The accused are residents of the Barahat police station area of Banka district,” he added.
