Misleading Video Posted From Chief Minister’s Secretariat, Two Young Men Detained Despite Students Saying No Misconduct Happened

KATHMANDU: A viral video from Biratnagar has raised questions over how social media claims can influence police action after two young men were detained over alleged misconduct toward female students—even though the students themselves have said that no such misconduct took place.

The video was recorded and posted by Umesh Gajurel, a computer operator at the secretariat of Koshi Province Chief Minister Hikmat Kumar Karki. It was presented on social media as showing young women being harassed in broad daylight.

However, accounts from the students involved and details visible in the video have presented a different picture.

What the Video Shows

The incident took place around Mahendra Chowk in Biratnagar.

Two female students in school uniforms can be seen near a zebra crossing as a motorcycle carrying two young men approaches them. The passenger on the motorcycle extends his hand toward the students and appears to make a gesture.

The original video was posted with an allegation suggesting that the girls had been harassed.

As the video spread online, parts of it were reportedly slowed down, cropped and zoomed in ways that made the hand movement appear more significant.

The students, however, later gave a different account.

Students Say They Were Not Harassed

The girls told police that the two men had simply gestured toward the zebra crossing and asked them to cross from there.

They said there had been no touching or harassment and that they continued walking normally after the interaction.

According to their account:

• They were walking near the zebra crossing.

• The men gestured toward the crossing.

• They did not feel that they had been sexually harassed.

• There was no argument or confrontation.

• They later told police that the two men were not guilty of misconduct.

The students also reportedly objected to their photographs and those of the two young men being circulated online.

Two Young Men Detained

Despite the students' statements, police arrested the two men on Friday after the video gained widespread attention.

The two were identified as Mahesh Mandal, from Biratnagar Metropolitan City-4, and Akhilesh Kumar Prasad, who also lives in Biratnagar.

The arrests have triggered criticism on social media, with questions being raised about whether police acted on the basis of an unverified viral claim before establishing what actually happened.

Police Acknowledge Students Denied Misconduct

Morang Police spokesperson DSP Makendra Kumar Mishra said police became involved after the video involving college-going girls was publicly circulated.

However, he also acknowledged that the girls told police that they had not been touched or subjected to misconduct.

According to Mishra, the students said they felt somewhat uncomfortable but did not describe the incident as harassment.

This has added to questions surrounding the decision to proceed against the two men.

Family Says They Went to Police Voluntarily

Nitesh Mandal, the brother of detained Mahesh Mandal, said the two men went to the police themselves after learning that the video had gone viral.

He said they went to explain what had happened and ask for the video to be corrected or removed.

According to him, police initially indicated that they would record their statements and release them. He alleged that the situation changed after the police chief arrived, after which the two were kept in custody.

The family maintains that the video clearly shows the men pointing toward the zebra crossing rather than touching the students.

Questions Over Social Media Trial

The incident has also raised a wider concern: Can a viral social media post become the basis for punishment before the facts are properly verified?

The case has drawn criticism because the people portrayed as victims have themselves said that they were not harassed.

An eyewitness, Kritika Timsina, also questioned the handling of the incident, saying that the facts, statements from both sides and available evidence should have been properly examined before presenting one side as the victim and the other as the offender.

The controversy highlights the risks of turning incomplete or misleading footage into a public trial.

A Bigger Question About Responsible Sharing

The incident also serves as a reminder that short videos can easily lose their original context when they are cropped, slowed down or accompanied by a different claim.

Once such footage goes viral, the consequences can extend far beyond social media—including damage to reputations, public pressure and even police action.

For that reason, establishing the full context, speaking to the people directly involved and checking available evidence remain important before making serious allegations.