Journalism of Courage
Bihar Police to Supreme Court: Constable who fired AK-47 was ‘trapped’
In an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court, Bihar Police said no one was injured in the AK-47 firing, while three protesters suffered minor firearm injuries elsewhere during the violence and ballistic tests are underway.
A video of the policeman firing the AK-47 had surfaced, prompting questions.
The Bihar Police has told the Supreme Court that a constable working in the District Intelligence Unit (DIU) “had fired…4 rounds from his AK-47 in the air” after he “got trapped in the crowd” of protesters that had hit the streets in Siwan on July 25, following the bandh call by various parties as the ‘Jantar Mantar’ protests in the state turned violent, but no one was injured.
In a counter affidavit filed in the top court, ADGP (Law and Order) K Suhita Anupam said that “in Siwan, on 25.07.2026, protestors of AISA and RYA (student and youth wing of CPI(ML)) gathered at Gandhi Maidan and began marching towards JP Chowk. At around 12:30 pm, protestors started pelting stones on the police force. The hooligans from Mairwa Road and Gopalganj Road joined the stone pelters. In the stone pelting, 20 police personnel including Superintendent of Police Siwan, 2 Sub-Divisional Police Officers, 2 Inspectors, 2 Sub-Inspectors, 13 Constables got injured. In the violence, two police vehicles and a large number of traffic trollies were damaged. Water cannon and tear gas shells were used to control the law and order situation. For the incidents, 6 FIRs were registered against 82 persons, out of which 17 persons were arrested”.
The affidavit filed on August 11 added that “as the deployed force was inadequate, all the officers and personnel working in different sections and lines were called to supplement the police force. Near JP Chowk, Constable…working in the District Intelligence Unit (DIU), got trapped in the crowd and fired 4 rounds from his AK-47 in the air. No one was injured”.
It further said that in Hathi Chowk, about 1.5-2 km from JP Chowk, another assistant sub-inspector fired 2 rounds from his 9mm pistol to disperse the mob. Two fired cartridges of .315 bore and 1 fired cartridge of 7.65 mm were recovered from the place of incident.
“Three protestors suffered minor firearms injuries” and they “were given best possible treatment in Sadar Hospital, Siwan, and were immediately shifted to Medanta Hospital in Patna for best treatment. All the injured persons were released after their injuries healed,” the affidavit read. The State Police said that “the injuries to protestors were neither caused by AK-47, nor the persons were located at the place where the constable fired from AK-47. Ballistic examination is being carried out to ascertain the type of weapon, distance of fire, angle of fire etc”.
It added that the constable who fired the AK-47 “has been put under suspension for undesired conduct and departmental proceedings…has been initiated against him”. The State pointed out that “as AK-47 is a platoon-level weapon, it is to be used in special operations, not in law and order situations”. A detailed instruction regarding “use of AK 47 has been issued by the Director General of Police” on August 1 and added that “similar orders have been issued at earlier occasions as well”.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
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