India has suspended a police officer in Bihar state after a video revealed the use of an AK-47 rifle fired into the air during the dispersal of a student protest amid ongoing youth demonstrations that have lasted several weeks over a leaked medical college entrance exam and unemployment issues.
The Bihar Police Command ordered the suspension of a police officer after a video circulated online showing riot control officers wielding an AK-47 rifle running toward a group of students, aiming the weapon and firing at least three shots into the air during the 'Bihar Bandh' city shutdown protest in Siwan, Bihar, on Saturday, 25 July.
Nilesh Kumar, Deputy Police Commissioner of Bihar, admitted the officer belonged to the intelligence unit, which normally deals with serious crimes, but had used the AK-47 rifle against students—an action that severely violated protocol and was unacceptable. The force immediately suspended him and is conducting a strict disciplinary investigation.
Although police claimed no injuries resulted from the AK-47 gunfire into the air, local reports confirmed three people were injured during the unrest and clashes that day, receiving treatment at a hospital in Patna. Among them was Muhammad Arif, a 15-year-old youth shot in the neck while returning home after closing his shop. His family stated he was not participating in the protest. Doctors have successfully removed the bullet, and his condition is now stable.
The protests in India have continued for over five weeks, triggered primarily by the leak of the national medical college entrance exam in May, affecting more than 2 million students and leading to a rescheduled exam. This has been compounded by youth anger over unemployment and concerns about artificial intelligence (AI) technology potentially replacing IT industry jobs.
The crisis led to the resignation of India's Minister of Education on Saturday amid movements by the People's Cockroach Party and tens of thousands of students marching toward the Parliament in New Delhi. Police had previously faced heavy criticism for excessive force, including using batons, tear gas, and shotguns to disperse protests.
The use of an AK-47 against students immediately became a heated issue in the Indian Parliament. Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of the main opposition Congress Party, said in Parliament, "This is one of the most severe attacks on democracy in history. Never before have students been beaten, dragged, and treated like criminals simply for demanding their rights."
Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi, opposition leader in the lower house, and Tejashwi Yadav, opposition leader in Bihar, condemned the incident and called for punishment of those involved. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) stated that the BJP government has turned the democratic country into a 'shooting range.'
Furthermore, Chief Justice Uday Umesh Lalit of the Supreme Court issued a speech warning that "public spaces for expressing differing opinions in India are steadily shrinking. The right to free speech and peaceful assembly is a fundamental freedom of the people," marking a rare critical statement from the nation's highest judicial authority.