New Delhi: The Bihar government has told the Supreme Court that a police constable deployed during student protests in Siwan fired four rounds from an AK-47 only after he was surrounded by a protesting crowd. The State has maintained that all four shots were fired into the air and that the incident did not result in injuries to any demonstrators.
The submission was made through an affidavit filed before the apex court in connection with petitions challenging the police response to protests associated with the student movement led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).
According to the State’s account, the incident occurred on July 25 near JP Chowk in Siwan. Constable Abhishek Kumar was allegedly caught in the middle of the crowd during the confrontation. The government said he subsequently fired four rounds from his AK-47 into the air to handle the situation.
The affidavit specifically stated that none of the protesters was injured in that particular firing.
Three Protesters Suffered Firearm Injuries
The Bihar government, however, acknowledged that three protesters sustained minor firearm injuries during police action on the same day. It maintained that their injuries were unrelated to the AK-47 firing by Kumar.
According to the State, the injured protesters were not present at the spot from which Kumar fired the rounds. The government has therefore disputed any direct link between the constable’s firing and the injuries suffered by the three demonstrators.
The affidavit also mentioned a separate firing incident involving Assistant Sub-Inspector Nilesh Kumar Singh. The officer allegedly discharged two rounds from his 9mm pistol near Hathi Chowk while attempting to disperse the gathering.
Constable Suspended Over ‘Undesired Conduct’
While defending the overall police response, the Bihar government informed the Supreme Court that action had been taken against Kumar following the AK-47 incident. The constable has been suspended and departmental proceedings have been initiated against him for what the State described as “undesired conduct”.
The government also sought to clarify the nature of the weapon he was carrying. According to the affidavit, Kumar’s AK-47 was a platoon-level weapon intended for special operations, rather than equipment meant for routine law-and-order duties or crowd-control situations.
The clarification assumes significance as the presence and use of an assault rifle during a protest has become a key issue in the proceedings before the Supreme Court.
State Denies Allegations of Excessive Force
The Bihar government has rejected allegations that its police personnel used disproportionate force against demonstrators. It has argued that officers exercised restraint during the protests and that the firing incidents occurred in the context of efforts to control difficult situations.
The State’s explanation regarding the Siwan incident comes amid broader allegations by petitioners concerning police conduct during the student protests. The petitions have raised questions over whether authorities used excessive force while dealing with demonstrators.
The government, meanwhile, has placed the circumstances surrounding the July 25 incident before the Supreme Court, maintaining that Kumar fired only after becoming trapped by the crowd and that his shots were directed skyward.
The court proceedings will now examine the competing accounts surrounding the police action, including the circumstances of the firing, the injuries suffered by protesters and whether the response by law-enforcement personnel was proportionate to the situation.
While the State continues to defend the broader police response, Kumar’s suspension and the departmental inquiry indicate that his conduct during the incident is being examined separately by the authorities.
