ISLAMABAD: Authorities in Indian Punjab have taken notice of a viral video allegedly showing the humiliation and sexual exploitation of a 23-year-old Dalit man with an intellectual disability in Jalandhar district, Times of India reported.
Taking suo motu notice on Monday, the Punjab State Scheduled Castes Commission sought a detailed report from the SSP Jalandhar Rural Police by Feb. 19, 2026, directing him to present findings.
Police acted after a disturbing video of a mentally challenged youth being forced into sexual abuse resurfaced online.
The main accused, Harpreet Singh “Happy,” an affluent NRI linked to the animal in the video, was arrested, The Tribune reported.
The case has been filed under India’s Information Technology Act for sharing sexually explicit content, along with relevant criminal law sections, Jalandhar Rural Police said.
The video was recorded on Nov 25, 2025, but gained public attention only after it was widely circulated in mid-February 2026, according to The Tribune. The delay between the alleged incident and the enforcement response has renewed scrutiny of how extreme abuse can remain unaddressed until it becomes “viral evidence,” making identification of all participants and distributors more complex.
Police sources cited in local coverage indicated investigators were working to determine whether additional individuals were involved in filming, encouraging, or circulating the footage, beyond the arrested accused. The Commission’s intervention is expected to press for clarity on these points, as well as the support measures offered to the victim, including medical care, protection, and any statutory relief.
The case has also revived wider debate around caste-based vulnerability and impunity.
National crime data show India recorded 57,789 cases of crimes against Scheduled Castes in 2023, indicating persistent exposure to violence, coercion, and degrading treatment despite legal safeguards, as per figures cited by NDTV/ Press Trust of India.
Authorities have not yet publicly detailed whether provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, will be applied in this case.
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