Arrah

Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor on Wednesday visited the native village of a man who was recently killed in a police encounter in Bhojpur district, where he met members of the bereaved family.

He is also expected to participate in a village panchayat meeting called by locals to discuss the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Party leaders said the family of the deceased had personally requested Kishor’s intervention, seeking justice and inviting him to attend the community meeting.

Addressing reporters in Bhojpur, Kishor said the family was not seeking financial compensation or government employment, but only justice. He stated that accountability would be ensured only if those directly involved in the killing, as well as those who allegedly ordered it, are investigated and acted against.

He also called for a judicial inquiry to be led by a sitting judge rather than a retired one and suggested that the investigation be completed within three months.

According to Kishor, the probe should not be restricted to the district police alone. He urged that it also examine the role of the state’s Home Department, the Special Task Force, the Director General of Police, and the Home Minister.

The deceased, identified as Bharat Bhushan Tiwari of Bilauti village under Shahpur police station limits, was killed in an encounter with police last week.

The incident has sparked political controversy in Bihar, with opposition parties alleging it was an extra-judicial killing.

The Jan Suraaj Party also organised a candlelight march in Patna on Sunday demanding justice for the victim.

Meanwhile, state minister Shrawon Kumar criticised the opposition, accusing it of politicising the matter. He said the government had already ordered a judicial probe and urged all sides to cooperate with the inquiry process to ensure swift justice.

Defending police action, Kumar said law enforcement personnel are authorised to act in self-defence if fired upon.

Police officials had earlier stated that Tiwari opened fire during the encounter, forcing retaliatory action in which he sustained injuries.

However, a video circulating on social media appears to show him discarding his weapon before the encounter, though its authenticity has not been independently verified.

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Following a complaint from the victim’s mother, an FIR has been registered against several police personnel in connection with the case.