A Bihar police constable has been suspended after a video showed him firing an AK-47 during the July 25 Bihar Bandh called to protest alleged irregularities in the NEET examination. The incident has also reached the Supreme Court, where a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed seeking intervention into the police action.
The suspended constable, identified as Abhishek Patel, was deployed during the statewide protests when clashes broke out between demonstrators and security personnel. In the viral video, Patel, wearing a blue helmet and a bulletproof vest, is seen rushing towards a group of protesters before firing his service rifle. The footage captures at least one round being discharged, after which he is heard urging fellow policemen to advance.
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Sources told India Today that while the video records a single shot, investigators believe four to five rounds were fired during the operation. The exact circumstances under which the weapon was used and whether warning procedures were followed are expected to be examined as part of the ongoing inquiry.
The video also shows another police personnel approaching the spot immediately after the firing, bending down to pick up an object from the ground and throwing it towards the protesters before moving forward with the security team.
Following the incident, Bihar Police placed Patel under suspension pending further investigation. The disciplinary action comes amid mounting criticism over the use of force against students participating in the protest.
Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Kumar Jha has filed a PIL before the Supreme Court, seeking judicial scrutiny of the incident and raising concerns over the deployment of lethal firearms during crowd-control operations.
The July 25 Bihar Bandh was organised over allegations of irregularities in the NEET examination process and witnessed protests at multiple locations across the state, with several instances of confrontation between demonstrators and police.
