The Raute community is known for its nomadic lifestyle. Continuously moving from place to place within forested areas, they live by their own customs and maintain limited contact with outsiders. The tribe is led by a chief, whose permission is required before anyone can enter their territory.

Due to their seclusion, the Raute people—particularly the women—are generally hesitant to speak with those outside their community. However, recent incidents have brought to light the abuse and harassment faced by Raute women. Videos circulating on social media platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook allegedly show members of the community, especially young women, being filmed without consent and subjected to inappropriate behaviour.

In one such case, a Facebook user under the profile name Gharti Jagat posted a 15-second video showing four Raute women travelling in a truck. The clip, whose time and location are unknown, shows a man sitting between the women, inappropriately touching one of them while whispering in her ear. The woman appears visibly uncomfortable. According to sources, the women were blackmailed with threats of making the video viral, forcing them to endure such acts of misconduct.

One arrested

Topendra Shahi, a 28-year-old resident of Aathbis Municipality Ward 3 in Dailekh district, has been arrested in connection with the viral video, confirmed Devi Ram Bhandari, Police Inspector and Information Officer at the Dailekh District Police Office. Shahi is currently in custody at the District Police Office in Surkhet and is being interrogated.

“Arresting Shahi is part of the ongoing investigation into those involved in the viral video,” said Mohan Jung Thapa, Information Officer at the Surkhet Police Post. “We are searching for additional suspects.”

At present, the Raute community is split between two locations—one group is settled near the Sot River bank in Birendranagar-14, and the other resides in a forested area near the Kare River in Birendranagar-13.

This is not the first such incident. On 4 June 2021, another video went viral showing two intoxicated men sexually harassing young Raute women at a hotel in Botechaur, Gurbhakot Municipality, Surkhet, where the women had gone shopping.

Following legal proceedings, the Surkhet District Court, under Judge Dr Rajendra Kumar Acharya, sentenced Chauman Gharti Magar and Bhupendra Budha Magar—both from Gurbhakot Municipality-9—to seven years in prison and imposed a fine of Rs200,000 each.