Bihar police constable suspended after AK‑47 firing on student protesters

Bihar AK‑47 firing police suspension student protest NEET paper leak

A Bihar police constable, identified as Abhishek Patel of the district intelligence unit, was suspended with immediate effect after a video went viral showing him pointing an AK‑47 at students and firing three rounds in the air during a protest in Siwan on July 25, 2026. Senior police officials said no one was wounded, but other reports noted three injured protesters, including 15‑year‑old Md Arif, whose condition is now stable.

The incident occurred amid a statewide “Bihar Bandh” sparked by a leak of NEET‑UG medical entrance exam papers that affected more than two million candidates. The protests saw stone‑throwing, lathi‑charges and clashes across several districts. Authorities filed 21 FIRs and arrested over 450 people. A departmental inquiry has been launched.

Opposition leaders Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav condemned the police action, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of breaking his promise not to file FIRs against student demonstrators. The incident has intensified political debate over the government's handling of the youth protests.

Entities: Abhishek Patel · Abhishek Patel (police officer) · Bihar Police Headquarters · Bihar state (India) · Md Arif · Nilesh Kumar · Patna district · Puran Kumar Jha · Rahul Gandhi · Siwan district · Siwan, Bihar · Special Investigation Team (SIT)

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 2 SOURCES] A departmental inquiry has been launched into the AK‑47 firing incident. (d5fbd788-4253-4232-b1a2-7504fe4cfc16)
[● 5 SOURCES] The incident occurred during a statewide shutdown (Bihar Bandh) over a NEET paper‑leak controversy. (clm_82c7d560-7e2b-4483-b137-643c1a98ead7)
[● 3 SOURCES] Approximately 450 people were arrested in connection with the violence. (existing)
[● 4 SOURCES] The firing injured three protesters, including a 15‑year‑old named Md Arif. (clm_f5ca0411-ed1e-4db8-864a-ca3ac4e8a7b6)
[● 4 SOURCES] Twenty‑one FIRs were filed across multiple districts after the bandh. (existing)
[● 3 SOURCES] The constable, identified as Abhishek Patel, was suspended by Bihar Police Headquarters. (a9f584d0-1e5a-4d6b-98ac-ebb472d90251)
[● 2 SOURCES] Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of breaking promises about not filing FIRs against student protesters. (clm_69c15026-1a99-4469-a9a2-3efd2d9f1536)
[● 13 SOURCES] A police constable fired an AK‑47 at student protesters in Siwan on July 25, 2026. (existing)
[● 5 SOURCES] Police constable Abhishek Patel was suspended with immediate effect. (new)
[● 3 SOURCES] A video showing the AK‑47 firing went viral on social media, prompting police action. (new)
[● 2 SOURCES] The constable was part of the district intelligence unit that handles hard‑core criminal cases. (new)
[● 4 SOURCES] The firing injured three protesters, including 15‑year‑old Md Arif. (existing)