Senior Bihar cop transferred amid row over use of AK-47 on student protestors

The Bihar government recently announced a senior police reshuffle, transferring two Superintendents of Police (SPs) from Siwan and Bhojpur districts amid controversy over the use of an AK-47 during student protests. Puran Kumar Jha, the SP of Siwan, has been removed from his post and placed on a waiting list for a new assignment.

Bharat Soni, previously the SP of Nalanda, has been appointed the new Siwan SP. The district experienced violent protests on July 25, following a NEET paper leak and prior police actions against students. Gunfire from an AK-47 was reportedly used during the clashes, resulting in three civilian injuries and injuries to several police officers, including Jha.

Despite claims that eight to ten rounds were fired, with some from long-range weapons and others from pistols, it remains unclear if all civilian injuries were caused by police action. Bhojpur SP Raj has been reassigned to Rohtas, while Awadesh Dikshit, hailing from the Bihar Police Headquarters Personnel-1 division, will assume the new Bhojpur SP role.

These changes follow a separate police encounter that led to the death of 28-year-old Bharat Bhushan Tiwari, who streamed parts of the confrontation on Facebook. The conflicting accounts surrounding Tiwari's death sparked a judicial and police investigation, resulting in the arrest of STF constable Akshay Kumar for allegedly using excessive force in the incident.

The IPS reshuffle encompasses numerous other changes, including the appointment of Hriday Kant as SP of Nalanda, Roshan Kumar as Senior SP of Saran, and Rajesh Kumar as SP of ANTF, Prohibition, and State Narcotics Control Bureau.