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Bihar NEET protest fallout and legal proceedings

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2026-07-29 02:29 UTC → 2026-08-18 05:05 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Bihar NEET protest ~~fallout, FIR withdrawal~~ fallout and legal proceedings

The July ~~25 2026~~ 25, 2026, leak of the ~~NEET‑UG~~ NEET-UG exam paper sparked a statewide bandh in Bihar. During ~~the~~ protests in Siwan, constable Abhishek Patel, a member of a district intelligence unit, fired an ~~AK‑47~~ AK-47 assault rifle into the air, injuring three students—including ~~15‑year‑old~~ 15-year-old Md Arif—while no protester was killed. Video of the firing went viral, prompting the immediate suspension of Patel by the Bihar Police Headquarters and the launch of a departmental inquiry. Senior police official Nilesh Kumar confirmed the weapon had been issued to Patel for ~~high‑risk~~ high-risk cases and its use was unjustified. The incident contributed to the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and spurred political backlash, with Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav demanding accountability. In the aftermath, more than 21 FIRs were filed, over 450 arrests made and 91 police personnel injured. On July 27, the Bihar Home Department, following a directive from the Chief Minister and a meeting between student leader Neha Bora and DGP Vinay Kumar, withdrew all FIRs, criminal complaints and ~~show‑cause~~ show-cause notices filed before 6 p.m. on 26 July and ordered the release of all detainees. Of the 694 people held, 339 minors have been freed and the remaining 355 adults will be released pending court hearings. The Supreme Court of India issued interim orders directing all states to release detained protesters under 18 with no criminal record, to preserve CCTV, drone and ~~body‑camera~~ body-camera footage, and to refrain from coercive actions while an independent probe into alleged police excesses continues. By August 18, the Bihar government submitted a counter affidavit to the Supreme Court regarding police conduct. The state denied using disproportionate force, clarifying that the AK-47 was a platoon-level weapon intended for special operations and that the shots fired at JP Chowk did not cause injury.

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