PUCL demands action against Bihar police officers for illegal detention of its members
The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Bihar Unit, on Friday (July 31, 2026), criticised Bihar police, in particular the Station House Officer (SHO) of
The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Bihar Unit, on Friday (July 31, 2026), criticised Bihar police, in particular the Station House Officer (SHO) of Gandhi Maidan Police Station, Akhilesh Kumar Mishra, for illegal detention, handcuffing and harassing the PUCL members for raising voice against denial of due process to detained students. PUCL, Bihar Unit General Secretary Sarfaraz said that Akash Keshav, Advocate-on-Record (AOR), Patna High Court and Vrati Kumar, law graduate from Calcutta University, social worker, and independent filmmaker/director, were illegally detained on Sunday (July 26, 2026) and Monday (July 27, 2026). He added that at times Mr. Keshav has assisted the Patna High Court as Amicus Curiae. As part of PUCL’s legal support group, both had gone to the Gandhi Maidan Police station on Sunday (July 26, 2026) to ascertain the status of the detained students. They were informed that the detainees were being produced before the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) at Chhajju Bagh, Patna. The students were arrested on July 25, during the Bihar Bandh. “Initially, both observed the proceedings of the open court for a while. When they found that the students were being sent to judicial custody without following due process, they raised their objection with the court.
None of the students was informed of the specific charges against them. They were not provided with copies of the First Information Report (FIR), which violated their basic legal rights,” Mr. Sarfaraz said. He added, “Advocate Mr. Keshav, who was in his proper lawyer’s robes, sought that copies of the FIR be furnished to the detainees; however, the SHO of Gandhi Maidan Police Station declared, in a vindictive manner, that since he had been injured during the protest, all students produced before the SDJM must be sent to jail as a punishment.” Sarfaraz pointed out that when advocate Mr. Keshav persisted in making submissions on behalf of the detained students, police officers reportedly turned aggressive and physically cornered both advocates and other advocates present. “The SHO threatened to prosecute Mr. Keshav unless he stopped raising objections on behalf of students. When they did not give in, he ordered the premises doors locked, and without any direction or permission from the Magistrate, arranged for a breath analyser and compelled both Mr. Keshav and Mr. Kumar to undergo the test on the spot, without the device being calibrated or tested and, subsequently, without any blood or urine confirmatory test being conducted,” Mr. Sarfaraz said.
The BriefWire