Patna :(ABN) The state government has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court on the Public Interest Litigation filed in connection with the police brutality during the student protests in Bihar. The government denied allegations of disproportionate use of force by the police. The government has said that when law and order broke down, the police took necessary steps to control the crowd. There, in the case of the firing of AK-47 by a policeman in Siwan, the state government has said that "the constable fired 4 shots in the air after getting stuck in the crowd." According to the government, the protesters were not hurt by the AK-47. At the same time, the government has accepted that the weapon should not be used in a situation of law and order. Describing AK-47 as a platoon level weapon, he said that it is used for special operations.
The DGP of the state has also issued instructions regarding the use of 'AK-47'. The constable who fired has been suspended and departmental action has been initiated against him. An 'ASI' fired 2 rounds from his 9 mm pistol to disperse the crowd, injuring 3 protesters, the government said. According to the government, these protestors were not shot by AK-47 and they were not present at the place where AK-47 was fired. A ballistics examination of the incident is underway, gathering details on the type of weapon, the distance the shot was fired and the angle of fire, the government said.
The government said in an affidavit that protesters from students and youth organizations gathered at Gandhi Maidan in Siwan. After that, the protesters started marching towards JP Chowk. In the afternoon, the protesters started pelting stones at the police force. After that, miscreants from Miroh Road and Gopalganj Road also joined the stone pelting and the situation turned violent. The affidavit stated that 20 policemen including the Superintendent of Police of Siwan were injured in the stone pelting incident. They include 2 SDPOs, 2 inspectors, 2 sub-inspectors and 13 constables. Along with this, 2 police vehicles and a large number of traffic trolleys have also been damaged. The state government has claimed that 157 policemen and 7 civil servants were injured during the entire protest. Water cannons and tear gas shells were also fired to control the violent crowd, the government said. Officers and jawans posted in various departments and police lines were also called on the spot to handle the legal administration. The government said that 6 FIRs have been registered against a total of 82 people in cases related to violence. 17 of them have been arrested. The police have told the Supreme Court that the investigation of the case is going on.
The state government told the Supreme Court that a total of 157 police personnel and 7 civil servants were injured in the violence at various places during the protest. According to the government, the police used water cannons and tear gas shells to disperse the violent crowd. Additional officers and jawans posted in various departments and police lines were also called to the spot to keep the situation under control.
The government's overall position is that the police did not use unjustified or disproportionate force against the protesters, but acted to maintain law and order after the protests turned violent. However, the use of AK-47 has been recognized by the government as illegal, following which the constable concerned has been suspended and departmental action has been taken.
According to the state government, the protesters associated with students and youth organizations gathered at Gandhi Maidan in Siwan. Later, the protesters started marching towards JP Chowk. According to the government, the protesters started pelting stones on the police force in the afternoon. Meanwhile, some miscreants coming from Miroh Road and Gopalganj Road also allegedly joined the stone pelting, following which the situation turned violent.