On 25 July 2026, during student protests in Siwan, Bihar, a police constable fired four rounds from an AK-47 rifle into the air after being surrounded by a crowd. The Bihar government later informed the Supreme Court that no injuries resulted from the use of the AK-47. The incident occurred amid demonstrations over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, leading to violence and injuries among both police and protesters.
According to Scroll, the constable, identified as Abhishek Kumar, discharged his weapon after becoming “trapped” in the crowd. The government’s affidavit stated that the shots were fired into the air and that the AK-47 is a platoon-level weapon intended for special operations, not for law-and-order situations.
As reported by Bar and Bench, the state clarified that three protesters did suffer minor firearm injuries during the incident, but these were not caused by the AK-47. The injuries were attributed to a separate incident where an assistant sub-inspector fired a 9mm pistol to disperse the crowd.
Further details revealed that the constable who fired the AK-47 was suspended for “undesired conduct” and is facing departmental proceedings. The Bihar Police also stated that detailed instructions regarding the use of such weapons have since been issued to prevent recurrence.
“No one was injured from the bullets of AK-47,” the affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court stated.
As noted in an article by The Hindu, the police maintained that utmost restraint was exercised and that no disproportionate force was used against protesters. The affidavit also mentioned that electronic evidence, including CCTV footage, has been preserved as directed by the Supreme Court.
Ballistic examination is underway to confirm the type of weapon and circumstances of the firing. The police also reported that the crowd had vandalised public property and injured 20 police personnel, including senior officers, during the unrest.
Instructions were issued to release student protesters without criminal records and minors, with 222 students granted bail and 75 juveniles released by the Juvenile Justice Board as coverage revealed.
“Detailed instructions regarding the use of AK-47s had already been issued by the Director General of Police on August 1, ostensibly to prevent such incidents,” the affidavit noted.
In the aftermath, the Bihar Police reiterated that it was not taking coercive action against protesters without criminal antecedents, and that personal information of students would not be disclosed publicly as analysis showed.
Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.