Bihar Constable Suspended, But Are Police Allowed To Use Of AK-47 Assault Rifle On Protesters?

Published 27 July 2026 · india

Bihar Constable Suspended, But Are Police Allowed To Use Of AK-47 Assault Rifle On Protesters? Published By, Last Updated: July 27, 2026, 15:40 IST The

Bihar Constable Suspended, But Are Police Allowed To Use Of AK-47 Assault Rifle On Protesters? Published By, Last Updated: July 27, 2026, 15:40 IST The police resorted to lathicharges and tear gas, but a viral video captured a District Intelligence Unit (DIU) constable using an AK-47. Bihar incident & what law says, explained Rapid Read Screen grabs from the video shared by Tejashwi Yadav. (X) A Bihar Police constable, Abhishek Patel, was suspended and subjected to departmental proceedings after a viral video showed him firing an AK-47 assault rifle at a student protest in Siwan district on July 25. The protest was part of a statewide ‘Bihar Bandh’ called by student organisations against the NEET paper leak and previous police actions. Are police allowed to use AK-47 on protesters? News18 explains WHAT HAD HAPPENED? During the demonstrations, clashes broke out between protesters and the police in Siwan. The police resorted to lathicharges and tear gas, but a viral video captured a District Intelligence Unit (DIU) constable using an AK-47. देखिए कैसे बिहार में छात्र प्रदर्शनकारियों पर पुलिसकर्मी AK-47 से गोली चला रहा है?

संपूर्ण देश में किसी भी छात्र प्रदर्शन में Police Manual का उल्लंघन कर AK-47 से गोली चलाने का यह प्रथम मामला है।लोकतंत्र में शांतिपूर्ण प्रदर्शन करना नागरिकों का संवैधानिक अधिकार है। अगर यही… pic.twitter.com/fEmJXK8CjQ — Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) July 27, 2026 Three protesters were injured in the violence and firing, including a 15-year-old boy who had to undergo surgery for a bullet wound to the neck. Siwan Superintendent of Police (SP) Puran Kumar Jha also sustained a leg injury due to stone-pelting from protesters. The Bihar Police Headquarters took immediate notice of the footage. Siwan SP Puran Kumar Jha confirmed the constable’s suspension, noting that clear instructions had been given to the force not to open fire during the demonstrations. ‘AK-47 bullets fired’: Rahul Gandhi attacks Centre over police action on students in Bihar pic.twitter.com/2T3p9QYIut— News18 (@CNNnews18) July 27, 2026 THE POLITICAL AFTERMATH The incident triggered major political outrage across the state. Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav publicly shared the video and slammed the state government and Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary over alleged police brutality toward unarmed students.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi condemned the police force’s actions, questioning the government for using excessive force against students. ARE POLICE ALLOWED TO USE AK-47? Police are strictly prohibited from using assault rifles like AK-47s against unarmed, peaceful protesters. Under Indian law and international policing standards, the use of firearms is a “last resort" and must follow a strict “graded use of force" to disperse an unlawful assembly. Legal Protocols and Use of Force Law enforcement officials must adhere to the principle of proportionality, meaning the force used must not exceed the threat posed. The standard operational procedure follows this sequence Warning: Commands issued to disperse the assembly. Non-Lethal Measures: Use of water cannons, tear gas, or a mild lathi (baton) charge. Firearms: Firing live ammunition is only authorized if the crowd becomes violently armed and poses a direct, immediate threat to life, and all other methods have failed. Authorisation Requirements Police officers cannot arbitrarily decide to use deadly weapons. According to Indian law (Sections 148 to 151 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023), the use of armed force generally requires the explicit, on-site order of an Executive Magistrate or a senior police officer.