A video which surfaced on social media on Thursday showed a lawyer assaulting a woman on the premises of the Katihar DCLR court in Bihar.
In the footage, the lawyer, identified as Advocate Kundan Yadav, can be seen hitting the woman with a stick as she cries and calls for help. However, nobody stepped in to help the distressed woman.
Watch the video here:
According to reports, the confrontation began with an argument between Yadav and the woman, who is said to be a complainant in an ongoing case.
Local authorities have acknowledged awareness of the viral video but stated that they have not received a formal complaint from the victim.
"We are aware of the footage and have initiated an investigation based on the video evidence," a police spokesperson told media.
As it stands, the police are proceeding with their inquiries while awaiting a formal statement from the victim.
Minor held for raping teen in UP's Ballia
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, a 17-year-old boy has been apprehended for allegedly raping a 14-year-old girl in Uttar Pradesh's Ballia, officials said on Thursday.
The incident took place in a village in the Narhi police station area of ?the district on Wednesday, they said.
Narhi police station in-charge Sunil Chandra Tiwari said that on the complaint of the girl's father, a case was registered against the teenager under the section of rape of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The girl was sent for medical examination after the registration of the FIR and the accused was apprehended, he said.
On Thursday, he was produced in a court which sent the accused to the juvenile correction home, the officer added.