Police Confirm Aerial Firing as Bihar Bandh Clashes Turn Violent

Three people sustained bullet injuries and several police personnel, including Siwan Superintendent of Police (SP) Puran Kumar Jha, were injured during clashes between protesters and police in Bihar's Siwan district amid a statewide bandh over the NEET paper leak and recent police action against student protesters in Delhi. More than 400 people were taken into custody following the violence, while authorities continued to investigate the circumstances surrounding the firing.

A day after the incident, Bihar Police confirmed that aerial firing was carried out by security personnel during the clashes. According to police, protesters allegedly launched a direct attack on officers, prompting law enforcement to resort to firing in the air to disperse the crowd. However, officials said it remains unclear whether all three bullet injuries were caused by police firing, and an investigation is underway to determine the exact sequence of events.

One of the injured civilians claimed he had not participated in the protest and was caught in the violence while visiting the district headquarters for official work. According to his account, he had travelled from his village to obtain a certificate and was on his way to the District Magistrate's office when he was struck by a bullet in the leg. His statement has added to questions surrounding how civilians sustained firearm injuries during the unrest.

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The clashes erupted during the Bihar bandh called to protest the alleged NEET paper leak and the recent police crackdown on student demonstrators in the national capital. Protesters and police reportedly confronted each other in Siwan, leading to stone-pelting, injuries and the use of force by security personnel. Several police officers were injured in the confrontation, including SP Puran Kumar Jha, while authorities detained more than 400 people in connection with the disturbances.

Police have maintained that the use of force was necessitated by attacks on security personnel, while officials continue to examine whether the bullet injuries resulted from police action or other circumstances during the violence. The Siwan SP stated that the investigation is ongoing and that authorities are working to establish the source of the gunfire that injured the three individuals.

The incident has intensified scrutiny of law enforcement's handling of protests linked to the NEET paper leak controversy. As investigations continue, authorities are expected to review the events leading to the clashes, while the injured receive medical treatment and officials assess accountability for both the violence and the injuries sustained during the statewide bandh.

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