Bihar Defends AK-47 Firing During Student Protest
The Bihar government has told the Supreme Court that a police constable fired four rounds from an AK-47 during student protests in Siwan only after he became trapped and surrounded by a crowd. The State said no protester was injured by the AK-47 firing, while acknowledging that three protesters suffered minor firearm injuries in a separate police action.
Bihar Explains AK-47 Firing During Student Protest
According to the State’s affidavit, constable Abhishek Kumar became trapped in a crowd near JP Chowk in Siwan on July 25 and fired four rounds from an AK-47 into the air.
The Bihar government acknowledged that an AK-47 is a platoon-level weapon intended for special operations and should not normally be used for routine law-and-order duties.
Kumar has since been suspended for what authorities described as “undesired conduct”, and departmental proceedings have been initiated against him.
Three Protesters Suffered Firearm Injuries
The State clarified that three protesters suffered minor firearm injuries during police action but maintained that none of those injuries was caused by the AK-47 rounds.
Authorities said the injuries occurred separately after an assistant sub-inspector fired two rounds from a 9mm pistol near Hathi Chowk while attempting to disperse protesters.
The circumstances surrounding both firing incidents are now part of the wider judicial scrutiny of police action during the demonstrations.
Bihar Defends Police Action Before Supreme Court
Bihar told the Supreme Court that police exercised restraint during the wider protests while alleging that violence and attacks on officials occurred in several districts.
Between July 22 and 25, police registered 69 FIRs and made 500 arrests. Of these, 222 student protesters without criminal antecedents were released on bail, while 75 juveniles were released through the Juvenile Justice Board.
