Overview

• On July 2 villagers in Jeevchhapur abducted 24-year-old Mithlesh Kumar Mukhiya, accusing him of an affair with his aunt and taking him to his uncle’s home
• A video circulating online shows Mukhiya being beaten with metal rods and then compelled to apply vermillion to his aunt Rita Devi’s forehead as a punitive marriage symbol
• Mukhiya’s parents were also attacked when they tried to intervene, sustaining injuries on their backs and arms, according to his father’s complaint
• Bhimpur Station House Officer Mithlesh Pandey confirmed that the case names eight residents of Jeevchhapur and two from nearby Belaganj, and detectives are actively tracing them
• Observers say the case underscores entrenched honor-based vigilantism in rural Bihar and highlights the growing role of social media in prompting police intervention