Bihar authorities took swift disciplinary action after widespread public outcry over a violent escalation during the statewide "Bihar Bandh" on July 25. A police constable in the Siwan district was suspended after video footage surfaced online showing him using an assault rifle directly against protesting students.
The statewide shutdown, initiated by the student organizations complaining about examination paper problems and police crackdowns, saw massive demonstrations across districts. The situation near Siwan's main demonstration areas deteriorated rapidly after a war of words and heavy stone-pelting between demonstrators and security forces.
Police personnel deployed tear gas and used severe crowd-control measures. Images shared widely on social media captured a police officer brandishing and firing an AK-47 rifle, which triggered widespread political condemnation and nationwide scrutiny regarding basic standards of police practice for law enforcement.
The firing resulted in injuries to at least three protesters who had to go to hospitals for specialized emergency care and were admitted to Jayprabha Medanta Hospital in Patna. Among the injured was a local shop worker who was hit by a bullet during the unrest. Surgeons successfully extracted the projectile during emergency operations and doctors confirmed that the injured individuals' conditions eventually stabilized.
The incident drew sharp criticism from leading opposition leaders. Bihar Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav posted the video clip on Facebook and called for the officers responsible to be punished for resorting to lethal force against youths. Meanwhile, Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi drew a parallel between tactical responses of different states and the deployment of crowd-control munitions by the police to disperse student protesters in other states and the use of assault rifles in Bihar.
Due to increasing pressure, Bihar Police Headquarters intervened and suspended the erring constable immediately. Senior police officials also said that maintaining public order is a core duty that must be executed within strict legal bounds. A full departmental investigation was initiated to evaluate whether the use of firearms conformed to official police protocols and to bring about legal and disciplinary consequences as a result of the investigation into the incident.
