A tragic case of mob vigilantism and digital abuse has come to light from Bihar’s West Champaran district, where a teenage girl died by suicide after a video of her public humiliation was circulated on social media. Her mother suffered a heart attack upon seeing her daughter’s body and remains in critical condition.

The incident took place in a village under the jurisdiction of Shikarpur police station. On Thursday night, villagers allegedly found the girl with a boy from a neighbouring village and accused them of being in a relationship. A mob detained the pair and filmed the incident on mobile phones.

While the girl managed to flee the scene, the boy was tied to a pole, stripped naked, and brutally assaulted throughout the night in the cold. Police sources said he sustained serious injuries to vital parts of his body. On Friday morning, the mob shaved his head, smeared his face with soot, and paraded him through the village.

Videos of the assault were widely shared on social media. When the footage reached the teenage girl, she reportedly went into severe psychological distress. On Friday afternoon, around 3 p.m., while her parents were away from home, she hanged herself.

The girl’s father has alleged that the incident was the result of a conspiracy and described his daughter’s death as murder rather than suicide. He claimed that she had been at home and was deliberately called out before the mob action began. Following the girl’s death, her mother’s condition deteriorated, and she suffered a heart attack. She is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Bettiah.

Senior police officials, including SDPO Jaiprakash Singh and Shikarpur Station House Officer Jwala Kumar Singh, reached the village after receiving information about the incident. The injured boy was admitted to hospital, and the girl’s body was sent for post-mortem examination.

Station House Officer Jwala Kumar Singh said a thorough investigation was underway. “Only after the post-mortem report will it be clear whether this was suicide or murder. Those responsible for the assault and for circulating the video on social media will face strict action,” he said.