Three days after the death of 26-year-old Bharat Tiwari, an online activist, the Bihar government has suspended the officers who were accused of his murder.
An FIR was registered based on a complaint from Tiwari’s mother, Asha Devi, naming the policemen involved in the encounter.
Many of the police men have now been suspended. There are also possibilities of arrests.
Jagdishpur Sub-Divisional Police Officer Rajesh Kumar Sharma was removed from his post with immediate effect amid public outrage. Sharma has been moved to the Bihar Police Headquarters in Patna until further orders. His post is filled by Pankaj Kumar Mishra, who was previously the Deputy Superintendent of Police posted in the Prohibition and Excise Department as well as the State Narcotics Control Bureau in Bihar.
The FIR also named the SHO and other police officers for murder.
Sharma is named as the main accused in the FIR alleging the murder of Bharat Tiwari.
Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary took to X to talk about the latest actions by the government. "It has been decided to conduct a judicial inquiry by a retired High Court judge for an independent and impartial investigation into the police encounter that took place on June 17 in Bilauti village of Shahpur police station area of Bhojpur district. The purpose of the judicial inquiry is to ensure impartiality and transparency in all aspects of the incident,” he said.
Meanwhile, Tiwari’s home village, Bilauti, has been protesting against the police and the government. Many demanded the resignation of the chief minister.
A large number of people gathered for a Mahapanchayat on Tiwari's death. According to its organising committee, the highest number of people came from the Shahpur Diyaranchal region with a convoy of hundreds of vehicles. People also arrived from various other states.
Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) leader Prashant Kishore also joined the Mahapanchayat after meeting Bharat Tiwari's family.
At the gathering, he said that Tiwari was fighting for electricity and water for 80 families who were displaced from Jawainiya village due to the erosion of the Ganges. He also added that everyone involved in the killing should also be investigated.
Meanwhile, the National Rights Front (NAF) submitted a memorandum to the District Magistrate's office regarding the case. The group alleged that the killing of Tiwari constituted a serious violation of human rights and demanded an immediate investigation.
According to Asha Devi, who spoke to BBC Hindi, the DSP was at the site during the shooting,
"When we went there, the DSP said beat these people too, lathi charge both of them, they lathi charged both of us, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. There were two lady police officers. After that, they started firing at Bharat Bhushan. First, they told Bharat that you have three demands, and they will be fulfilled. My son was demanding filling of soil for the people of Jawainia village, who the government has settled in a pit,” she said.
The opposition leaders in the state have also claimed that the Tiwari was murdered and not killed in an encounter.
Congress leader Akhilesh Prasad Singh said, "The DSP has hatched this conspiracy for this. This case should be investigated not by a retired judge but by a sitting judge of the Patna High Court, and the victim's family should be immediately given Rs 1 crore as relief."
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Sudhakar Singh also reiterated the claim, saying, "Simply suspending the policemen will not provide justice to this family. This entire case should be investigated under the supervision of a sitting High Court judge. Not only Bharat Tiwari, but all 13 encounters that took place in the last three months should also be investigated, and all the guilty officers should be charged with murder and sent to jail."
