Bihar government reshuffles 17 IPS officers following Siwan protest controversy

The constable, Abhishek Kumar, has been suspended and faces departmental proceedings

NEW DELHI: Bihar government on Tuesday transferred 17 senior IPS officers in a major reshuffle, including the superintendents of police of Siwan and Bhojpur districts, where recent police action on student protesters had sparked controversy. According to a state home department circular, Siwan SP Puran Kumar Jha has been transferred and placed on the waiting list for a new posting. Jha was in charge when a police constable was seen firing an AK-47 during a student protest in the district on July 25. Hriday Kant has been appointed SP of Nalanda, while Bharat Soni will take charge as Siwan SP. Awadesh Dikshit has been appointed SP of Bhojpur. The government has not indicated whether the transfers are linked to the controversies or are part of a routine administrative reshuffle.

What happened in Siwan

The incident took place on on July 25 during student protests in Bihar's Siwan district. A video showed a police constable Abhishek Kumar using the rifle during the demonstration. Kumar was subsequently suspended and departmental proceedings were initiated against him.

The Bihar government defended the action telling the Supreme Court that constable Kumar fired four rounds from an AK-47 after being "trapped and surrounded by protesters" near JP Chowk during the July 25 protests. The firing was directed into the air, the government said, and did not injure anyone at the spot. The state government said three protesters suffered firearm injuries during police action elsewhere in Siwan but maintained that they were not injured by Kumar's AK-47 firing. It also said another officer fired two rounds from a 9mm pistol near Hathi Chowk to disperse protesters. In its affidavit, the government described the AK-47 as a "platoon-level weapon" meant for special operations rather than routine law-and-order duties.