ARA: A judicial inquiry has been ordered by the Chief Minister into the death of Bharat Bhushan Tiwari, a 28-year-old local activist who was shot dead by police on June 17 in Bilauti village, Bhojpur. The case has sparked intense anger, with locals accusing the police of a staged, “fake” encounter.
Tiwari, a BSc graduate whose father is a retired police driver, was well-known locally for using Facebook Live to protest administrative corruption. Recently, he had been fiercely campaigning for the rights of flood-displaced families from Jawaniya village. Out of frustration with government inaction, Tiwari had posted videos waving an illegal pistol, warning officials to fulfill the villagers’ demands.
On June 16, Bhojpur Police released an official statement declaring Tiwari “mentally unsound” and stated they were preparing to safely take him to a psychiatric facility.
However, within 24 hours, the narrative shifted drastically. On June 17, a heavily armed team of local police and the Special Task Force (STF) surrounded Tiwari’s house. Tiwari went live on Facebook, documenting the standoff, stating he was a revolutionary and expressing willingness to lay down his gun if administrative promises to the flood victims were kept.
According to the police version, Tiwari fled into an open field, pretended to surrender, but then picked up his firearm and opened fire on the STF jawans, forcing them to retaliate by shooting him in the legs.
Contradicting this, Tiwari’s mother, Asha Devi, and local eyewitnesses claim that Tiwari threw his weapon away and completely surrendered after police assured him his demands would be heard. They allege that once unarmed, he was shot four times in cold blood by officers, who then shooed away onlookers.
Following his death at the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), furious villagers blocked the national highway demanding justice. Facing intense public and political pressure, the government has suspended four police personnel—including the Shahpur SHO—and ordered a high-level judicial probe led by a retired High Court judge to uncover what truly happened after the live stream cut off.
