AK-47 fired, 400+ in custody: The fiery protests in Bihar that people somehow missed
While the nation was fixated on the agitation at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar, Bihar witnessed one of the most violent chapters of the NEET-UG agitation. Dozens of police personnel, including two SPs, were injured, over 400 people were detained, thousands were named in FIRs, and an AK-47 was fired at the crowd. But the scale of the violence drew national attention only two days later.
A nation fixated on the agitation at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar, which ultimately forced Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, failed to see the more violent protests across Bihar. Scattered headlines of "students" protesting emerged from Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata. But in Bihar, the ferocity with which protests unfolded, received little national attention. It was only after two days and with reports of an AK-47 being fired that the scale of the violence truly caught the country's attention.
The focus was on New Delhi, where the protests had intensified after the brutal crackdown on July 20, and spread to other cities. This came even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi tried to pacify the youngsters with fast-track courts and a selfie video. Eyes were off Bihar, which was headed down a far more violent path of protest.
A Bihar Bandh on July 25 had been called by student organisations over the NEET-UG paper leak scandal. The protests in several cities in Bihar, including the capital Patna, snowballed into one of the most violent street confrontations in recent years.
Stones were pelted, vehicles torched, and public property vandalised. Dozens of police personnel, including two Superintendents of Police (SPs), were injured. Police responded by firing. More than 400 people were arrested. Then came the visuals of police firing an AK-47 in Siwan and former Bihar minister Tej Pratap Yadav getting arrested in Patna. All these have now attracted national attention, setting off a full-blown political controversy.
The NDA is in power in Bihar, with BJP's Samrat Choudhary as the Chief Minister.
The fallout of the violence has been such that around 70,000 police personnel were deployed across Bihar, schools shut in several districts, and internet and messaging services were suspended in Siwan.
BIHAR PROTESTS: THE SPARK AND WHY THEY ESCALATED
The Bihar Bandh on July 25 was called by organisations, including the All India Students' Association (AISA), in solidarity with nationwide protests against NEET leak and excesses by law enforcement personnel. The day, meant to be a statewide shutdown, turned into a flashpoint.
Violence erupted across several districts, including Patna, Siwan, Saran (Chapra), Sitamarhi and Aurangabad. Protesters blocked highways and roads, pelted stones, overturned police vehicles, torched government property and clashed directly with security personnel.
In Patna, the face-off around Gandhi Maidan captured the scale of the unrest. Protesters overturned a police jeep and engaged in heavy stone-pelting. Traffic police booths were vandalised, and the remains of a country-made bomb were recovered nearby. Despite heavy deployment, including paramilitary personnel, the situation deteriorated rapidly. And, Patna was not alone that day when chaos descended on the streets.
SIWAN: WHERE THE PROTEST IN BIHAR TURNED DEADLY
The epicentre of the most serious violence was Siwan, around 140 km northwest of Patna. During the clashes on July 25, Siwan SP Puran Kumar Jha was among those injured in stone pelting. Police initially resorted to tear gas and "mild force" before opening fire.
The Bihar Police on Monday evening said Constable Abhishek Kumar fired "four rounds" into the air after he and other personnel were surrounded by Bihar Bandh supporters. The statement said that the firing was carried out "to protect lives and government property" and that "no one in the crowd was injured" by those shots. It said the constable has been suspended and departmental proceedings initiated.
The statement, however, added that three gunshot victims were found at locations 1.5-2 km away from the firing spot and were "out of danger".
Siwan District Magistrate Vivek Ranjan Maitreya said no order had been given to open fire, adding that even aerial firing had not been authorised. He also said the police personnel should not have entered the crowd carrying such a weapon, reported Chandan Kumar for India Today TV.
"The officer got trapped in the crowd, and perhaps that is why he fired," the DM said.
The police personnel, who was seen firing an AK-47 at protesting "students", was suspended. Sources told India Today TV that at least four to five rounds were fired, although the video accessed by India Today Digital captured only one shot being fired. A Public Interest Litigation has now been filed before the Supreme Court by Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Kumar Jha (RJD) in connection with the incident.
One of the injured, Bullet Kumar Gond, claimed he was merely on his way to the District Magistrate's office to obtain certificates when he was hit in the leg.
The Indian Express, citing the police's account of the clashes, reported: "Aerial firing was carried out. From the police's side, four rounds were fired from long-range weapons and three rounds from pistols. In all, around eight to 10 rounds were fired."
Authorities said protesters damaged 19 government vehicles and one private vehicle. Police also reported that 58 personnel were injured in Siwan alone, while 423 people were taken into custody in the district.
Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav, writing on X, said, "During a student protest in Siwan, the police resorted to direct firing on the students. Firing was also done with an AK-47. The police fired bullets on the innocent students who were protesting. Action should be taken against the guilty officials."
Bihar Tak reported that the personnel seen firing the AK-47 has been identified as Abhishek Patel.
VIOLENCE IN BHAGALPUR AND LAKHISARAI TOO
The violence and clashes in Bihar were not just restricted to Patna and Siwan.
In Sitamarhi, SP Amit Ranjan and several police personnel were injured during stone-pelting, while vehicles were set ablaze. Two police personnel were injured in Aurangabad. In Saran (Chapra), protesters hurled stones at police and torched a police vehicle. Patna witnessed repeated clashes, including attempts by protestors to breach police barricades.
The Hindu also reported stone-pelting incidents in Bhagalpur, West Champaran and Lakhisarai.
The East Central Railway's (ECR) MEMU services on the Patna–Ara–Buxar route, which have been traditional casualties during protests in Bihar, were disrupted.
Police responded with lathi-charges, tear gas and, in some places, firing in the air.
The scale of the violence prompted one of Bihar's biggest security deployments in recent years. Around 70,000 police personnel have been deployed across the state. Leaves have been cancelled, schools have been shut in several districts, and the internet and messaging services were suspended in Siwan for 24 hours to curb rumours and prevent further escalation.
According to police figures cited in multiple reports, over 400 people were arrested across Bihar following the bandh violence. Patna accounted for the highest number of arrests, around 258 in one update, followed by significant detentions in Chhapra and Siwan. Police also registered dozens of FIRs naming thousands of accused, including those identified through CCTV footage as well as unidentified protesters.
A nation fixated on the agitation at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar, which ultimately forced Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, failed to see the more violent protests across Bihar. Scattered headlines of "students" protesting emerged from Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata. But in Bihar, the ferocity with which protests unfolded, received little national attention. It was only after two days and with reports of an AK-47 being fired that the scale of the violence truly caught the country's attention.
The focus was on New Delhi, where the protests had intensified after the brutal crackdown on July 20, and spread to other cities. This came even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi tried to pacify the youngsters with fast-track courts and a selfie video. Eyes were off Bihar, which was headed down a far more violent path of protest.
A Bihar Bandh on July 25 had been called by student organisations over the NEET-UG paper leak scandal. The protests in several cities in Bihar, including the capital Patna, snowballed into one of the most violent street confrontations in recent years.
Stones were pelted, vehicles torched, and public property vandalised. Dozens of police personnel, including two Superintendents of Police (SPs), were injured. Police responded by firing. More than 400 people were arrested. Then came the visuals of police firing an AK-47 in Siwan and former Bihar minister Tej Pratap Yadav getting arrested in Patna. All these have now attracted national attention, setting off a full-blown political controversy.
The NDA is in power in Bihar, with BJP's Samrat Choudhary as the Chief Minister.
The fallout of the violence has been such that around 70,000 police personnel were deployed across Bihar, schools shut in several districts, and internet and messaging services were suspended in Siwan.
BIHAR PROTESTS: THE SPARK AND WHY THEY ESCALATED
The Bihar Bandh on July 25 was called by organisations, including the All India Students' Association (AISA), in solidarity with nationwide protests against NEET leak and excesses by law enforcement personnel. The day, meant to be a statewide shutdown, turned into a flashpoint.
Violence erupted across several districts, including Patna, Siwan, Saran (Chapra), Sitamarhi and Aurangabad. Protesters blocked highways and roads, pelted stones, overturned police vehicles, torched government property and clashed directly with security personnel.
In Patna, the face-off around Gandhi Maidan captured the scale of the unrest. Protesters overturned a police jeep and engaged in heavy stone-pelting. Traffic police booths were vandalised, and the remains of a country-made bomb were recovered nearby. Despite heavy deployment, including paramilitary personnel, the situation deteriorated rapidly. And, Patna was not alone that day when chaos descended on the streets.
SIWAN: WHERE THE PROTEST IN BIHAR TURNED DEADLY
The epicentre of the most serious violence was Siwan, around 140 km northwest of Patna. During the clashes on July 25, Siwan SP Puran Kumar Jha was among those injured in stone pelting. Police initially resorted to tear gas and "mild force" before opening fire.
The Bihar Police on Monday evening said Constable Abhishek Kumar fired "four rounds" into the air after he and other personnel were surrounded by Bihar Bandh supporters. The statement said that the firing was carried out "to protect lives and government property" and that "no one in the crowd was injured" by those shots. It said the constable has been suspended and departmental proceedings initiated.
The statement, however, added that three gunshot victims were found at locations 1.5-2 km away from the firing spot and were "out of danger".
Siwan District Magistrate Vivek Ranjan Maitreya said no order had been given to open fire, adding that even aerial firing had not been authorised. He also said the police personnel should not have entered the crowd carrying such a weapon, reported Chandan Kumar for India Today TV.
"The officer got trapped in the crowd, and perhaps that is why he fired," the DM said.
The police personnel, who was seen firing an AK-47 at protesting "students", was suspended. Sources told India Today TV that at least four to five rounds were fired, although the video accessed by India Today Digital captured only one shot being fired. A Public Interest Litigation has now been filed before the Supreme Court by Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Kumar Jha (RJD) in connection with the incident.
One of the injured, Bullet Kumar Gond, claimed he was merely on his way to the District Magistrate's office to obtain certificates when he was hit in the leg.
The Indian Express, citing the police's account of the clashes, reported: "Aerial firing was carried out. From the police's side, four rounds were fired from long-range weapons and three rounds from pistols. In all, around eight to 10 rounds were fired."
Authorities said protesters damaged 19 government vehicles and one private vehicle. Police also reported that 58 personnel were injured in Siwan alone, while 423 people were taken into custody in the district.
Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav, writing on X, said, "During a student protest in Siwan, the police resorted to direct firing on the students. Firing was also done with an AK-47. The police fired bullets on the innocent students who were protesting. Action should be taken against the guilty officials."
Bihar Tak reported that the personnel seen firing the AK-47 has been identified as Abhishek Patel.
VIOLENCE IN BHAGALPUR AND LAKHISARAI TOO
The violence and clashes in Bihar were not just restricted to Patna and Siwan.
In Sitamarhi, SP Amit Ranjan and several police personnel were injured during stone-pelting, while vehicles were set ablaze. Two police personnel were injured in Aurangabad. In Saran (Chapra), protesters hurled stones at police and torched a police vehicle. Patna witnessed repeated clashes, including attempts by protestors to breach police barricades.
The Hindu also reported stone-pelting incidents in Bhagalpur, West Champaran and Lakhisarai.
The East Central Railway's (ECR) MEMU services on the Patna–Ara–Buxar route, which have been traditional casualties during protests in Bihar, were disrupted.
Police responded with lathi-charges, tear gas and, in some places, firing in the air.
The scale of the violence prompted one of Bihar's biggest security deployments in recent years. Around 70,000 police personnel have been deployed across the state. Leaves have been cancelled, schools have been shut in several districts, and the internet and messaging services were suspended in Siwan for 24 hours to curb rumours and prevent further escalation.
According to police figures cited in multiple reports, over 400 people were arrested across Bihar following the bandh violence. Patna accounted for the highest number of arrests, around 258 in one update, followed by significant detentions in Chhapra and Siwan. Police also registered dozens of FIRs naming thousands of accused, including those identified through CCTV footage as well as unidentified protesters.
A nation fixated on the agitation at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar, which ultimately forced Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, failed to see the more violent protests across Bihar. Scattered headlines of "students" protesting emerged from Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata. But in Bihar, the ferocity with which protests unfolded, received little national attention. It was only after two days and with reports of an AK-47 being fired that the scale of the violence truly caught the country's attention.
The focus was on New Delhi, where the protests had intensified after the brutal crackdown on July 20, and spread to other cities. This came even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi tried to pacify the youngsters with fast-track courts and a selfie video. Eyes were off Bihar, which was headed down a far more violent path of protest.
A Bihar Bandh on July 25 had been called by student organisations over the NEET-UG paper leak scandal. The protests in several cities in Bihar, including the capital Patna, snowballed into one of the most violent street confrontations in recent years.
Stones were pelted, vehicles torched, and public property vandalised. Dozens of police personnel, including two Superintendents of Police (SPs), were injured. Police responded by firing. More than 400 people were arrested. Then came the visuals of police firing an AK-47 in Siwan and former Bihar minister Tej Pratap Yadav getting arrested in Patna. All these have now attracted national attention, setting off a full-blown political controversy.
The NDA is in power in Bihar, with BJP's Samrat Choudhary as the Chief Minister.
The fallout of the violence has been such that around 70,000 police personnel were deployed across Bihar, schools shut in several districts, and internet and messaging services were suspended in Siwan.
BIHAR PROTESTS: THE SPARK AND WHY THEY ESCALATED
The Bihar Bandh on July 25 was called by organisations, including the All India Students' Association (AISA), in solidarity with nationwide protests against NEET leak and excesses by law enforcement personnel. The day, meant to be a statewide shutdown, turned into a flashpoint.
Violence erupted across several districts, including Patna, Siwan, Saran (Chapra), Sitamarhi and Aurangabad. Protesters blocked highways and roads, pelted stones, overturned police vehicles, torched government property and clashed directly with security personnel.
In Patna, the face-off around Gandhi Maidan captured the scale of the unrest. Protesters overturned a police jeep and engaged in heavy stone-pelting. Traffic police booths were vandalised, and the remains of a country-made bomb were recovered nearby. Despite heavy deployment, including paramilitary personnel, the situation deteriorated rapidly. And, Patna was not alone that day when chaos descended on the streets.
SIWAN: WHERE THE PROTEST IN BIHAR TURNED DEADLY
The epicentre of the most serious violence was Siwan, around 140 km northwest of Patna. During the clashes on July 25, Siwan SP Puran Kumar Jha was among those injured in stone pelting. Police initially resorted to tear gas and "mild force" before opening fire.
The Bihar Police on Monday evening said Constable Abhishek Kumar fired "four rounds" into the air after he and other personnel were surrounded by Bihar Bandh supporters. The statement said that the firing was carried out "to protect lives and government property" and that "no one in the crowd was injured" by those shots. It said the constable has been suspended and departmental proceedings initiated.
The statement, however, added that three gunshot victims were found at locations 1.5-2 km away from the firing spot and were "out of danger".
Siwan District Magistrate Vivek Ranjan Maitreya said no order had been given to open fire, adding that even aerial firing had not been authorised. He also said the police personnel should not have entered the crowd carrying such a weapon, reported Chandan Kumar for India Today TV.
"The officer got trapped in the crowd, and perhaps that is why he fired," the DM said.
The police personnel, who was seen firing an AK-47 at protesting "students", was suspended. Sources told India Today TV that at least four to five rounds were fired, although the video accessed by India Today Digital captured only one shot being fired. A Public Interest Litigation has now been filed before the Supreme Court by Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Kumar Jha (RJD) in connection with the incident.
One of the injured, Bullet Kumar Gond, claimed he was merely on his way to the District Magistrate's office to obtain certificates when he was hit in the leg.
The Indian Express, citing the police's account of the clashes, reported: "Aerial firing was carried out. From the police's side, four rounds were fired from long-range weapons and three rounds from pistols. In all, around eight to 10 rounds were fired."
Authorities said protesters damaged 19 government vehicles and one private vehicle. Police also reported that 58 personnel were injured in Siwan alone, while 423 people were taken into custody in the district.
Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav, writing on X, said, "During a student protest in Siwan, the police resorted to direct firing on the students. Firing was also done with an AK-47. The police fired bullets on the innocent students who were protesting. Action should be taken against the guilty officials."
Bihar Tak reported that the personnel seen firing the AK-47 has been identified as Abhishek Patel.
VIOLENCE IN BHAGALPUR AND LAKHISARAI TOO
The violence and clashes in Bihar were not just restricted to Patna and Siwan.
In Sitamarhi, SP Amit Ranjan and several police personnel were injured during stone-pelting, while vehicles were set ablaze. Two police personnel were injured in Aurangabad. In Saran (Chapra), protesters hurled stones at police and torched a police vehicle. Patna witnessed repeated clashes, including attempts by protestors to breach police barricades.
The Hindu also reported stone-pelting incidents in Bhagalpur, West Champaran and Lakhisarai.
The East Central Railway's (ECR) MEMU services on the Patna–Ara–Buxar route, which have been traditional casualties during protests in Bihar, were disrupted.
Police responded with lathi-charges, tear gas and, in some places, firing in the air.
The scale of the violence prompted one of Bihar's biggest security deployments in recent years. Around 70,000 police personnel have been deployed across the state. Leaves have been cancelled, schools have been shut in several districts, and the internet and messaging services were suspended in Siwan for 24 hours to curb rumours and prevent further escalation.
According to police figures cited in multiple reports, over 400 people were arrested across Bihar following the bandh violence. Patna accounted for the highest number of arrests, around 258 in one update, followed by significant detentions in Chhapra and Siwan. Police also registered dozens of FIRs naming thousands of accused, including those identified through CCTV footage as well as unidentified protesters.
