Siwan SP Removed as AK-47 Firing Row Deepens

Patna, August 18, 2026 The removal of Siwan Superintendent of Police Puran Kumar Jha has brought fresh focus to the controversy surrounding the use of an AK-47 by a police constable during student protests in the district on July 25. While the constable involved has already been suspended, the incident has raised wider questions about police accountability, the use of firearms during protests and the chain of command behind the deployment of such a weapon. The Bihar government has removed Jha from his post and placed him under vetting for a new posting. However, officers who were in charge of Siwan at the time of the incident have not yet been assigned fresh postings. In its response before the Supreme Court, the state said constable Abhishek Kumar fired four rounds from his AK-47 only after he was surrounded by protesters. The government stated that he "got trapped in the crowd" and fired four rounds from his AK-47 "in the air", maintaining that nobody was injured by those shots. According to the state government's affidavit, the incident occurred near JP Chowk in Siwan on July 25. The government acknowledged that three protesters suffered minor firearm injuries during the police action but denied that these injuries were caused by Kumar's AK-47 firing, stating that the injured individuals were not present at the location from where he fired. The affidavit also mentioned another incident near Hathi Chowk, where Assistant Sub-Inspector Nilesh Kumar Singh allegedly fired two rounds from his 9mm pistol to disperse the crowd. The state has maintained that the police acted with restraint and did not use disproportionate force. The controversy has also drawn political attention, with Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Yadav questioning how a constable deployed during a student protest obtained an AK-47, which unit or armoury issued it, and who authorised its allocation. He has also raised questions about whether the complete command chain involved in issuing such a weapon should be examined. As the matter remains under scrutiny, the episode continues to raise serious concerns over responsibility, accountability and the use of force during public protests.