Siwan

Following intense political uproar and allegations in Parliament over police heavy-handedness, senior administration and police authorities in Bihar's Siwan district have cracked down on the personnel involved in the controversial firing incident during recent student demonstrations.

Siwan District Magistrate Vivek Ranjan Maitrey and Superintendent of Police Puran Kumar Jha confirmed on Monday that Constable Abhishek Kumar was suspended with immediate effect and faces formal departmental proceedings.

The administration clarified that the constable was part of a District Intelligence Unit (DIU) team passing through JP Chowk to investigate a separate murder case when he became trapped in a protest crowd. Caught in the commotion, he discharged four rounds into the air using an AK-47 assault rifle, an action the DM explicitly stated was unauthorised and inappropriate for public crowd-handling settings.

District Magistrate Vivek Ranjan Maitrey confirmed the constable acted without orders and should not have carried or discharged an assault rifle in a public gathering.

"He did not have the orders to do so. He should not have fired in the air. Such a weapon should not have been taken in public. As the SP said, the officer was going elsewhere when he got stuck in the commotion," Maitrey said.

Meanwhile, Siwan Superintendent of Police Puran Kumar Kha said the police personnel involved in the incident had been suspended with immediate effect and a departmental inquiry had been initiated.

"The particular police personnel (who fired) has been suspended with immediate effect and departmental inquiry has been initiated against him," the SP told ANI.

"No one has been harmed by an AK-47 in this instance. A DIU unit officer visited JP Chowk. The investigation revealed that a murder had taken place on that day, and a team was passing through the area to conduct an investigation and take necessary action...Constable Abhishek has been suspended with immediate effect," he further said.

In a statement issued on Monday, Bihar Police said that on July 25, Constable Abhishek Kumar, who was deployed near JP Chowk in Siwan city, fired four rounds into the air after being surrounded by bandh supporters. According to the police, the constable pointed the barrel upwards and opened fire to safeguard life, public safety and government property, adding that no one in the crowd at the spot sustained injuries due to the firing.

The statement said Constable Abhishek Kumar was suspended under an earlier district order and departmental proceedings had been initiated against him. The Bihar Police also clarified that three persons who sustained bullet injuries were found at locations away from the site where the constable fired.

According to the statement, 17-year-old Md. Arif and 22-year-old Akash Kumar were injured near Hafiz Chowk, around 1.5 kilometres from JP Chowk, while 20-year-old Bullet Kumar Gaur was found injured near the Traffic Police Station, approximately two kilometres from JP Chowk.

Police said doctors have declared all three injured persons out of danger. After receiving preliminary treatment at Siwan Sadar Hospital, they were shifted to Medanta Hospital in Patna. Md. Arif has since been discharged.

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Based on the statements of the injured, separate FIRs have been registered at Siwan Town Police Station. The investigation into the incident is underway.