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WATCH: Video Of Indian Sisters Attacking Alleged Harassers Goes Viral

Two sisters on a bus in northern India beat up three men who they say were harassing them, and the video of the encounter has gone viral in a country that has been the scene of much-publicized violence against women.

The video was filmed Nov. 28 by a passenger on the bus that was traveling between Rohtak, about 40 miles from New Delhi, and Sonipat, about 12 miles from the Indian capital. Both towns are in the state of Haryana.

The sisters, Aarti Kumar, 22, and Pooja Kumar, 19, are both students. They say they were subjected to lewd comments from the three men. They responded by attacking the men with their belts. The video shows the other passengers silently watching the events. Such harassment of women is not uncommon in India, and there's even a term to describe it: "Eve teasing."

The men were arrested Sunday, and Haryana's chief minister lauded the two young women, saying they would be honored during India's Republic Day celebrations on Jan. 26.

You can watch the video here:

The video and the response of the young women attracted wide coverage in India's media as well as on social media.

The sisters spoke to the BBC, and you can read what they said here.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Krishnadev Calamur is NPR's deputy Washington editor. In this role, he helps oversee planning of the Washington desk's news coverage. He also edits NPR's Supreme Court coverage. Previously, Calamur was an editor and staff writer at The Atlantic. This is his second stint at NPR, having previously worked on NPR's website from 2008-15. Calamur received an M.A. in journalism from the University of Missouri.
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