Bihar Judicial Commission Visits Village, Meets Family in Encounter Death Probe

Patna, June 25: Retired Patna High Court judge Justice Vinod Kumar Sinha, heading the judicial commission formed by the Bihar government to investigate the death of Bharat Bhushan Tiwari in an alleged police encounter, visited Bilauti village in Bhojpur district on Thursday. He met the victim's family, recorded their statements, and inspected the site of the incident.

The commission was established on June 24 following a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary. The state law department's proposal for an independent inquiry was approved amid public outcry over the June 17 encounter.

Chief Minister Choudhary, speaking at a party function on Thursday, said: “Whenever a problem arises, the concerned government moves forward promptly. In this incident, a high-level commission of inquiry has been formed, and whoever is found guilty will face action.” This was his first public comment on the matter since the incident.

However, some legislators noted that the terms of reference and the time limit for the commission's findings have not been publicly disclosed, which is unusual for such inquiries.

The incident began on June 16 when a video went viral showing 28-year-old Bharat Bhushan Tiwari holding a country-made pistol and confronting police officers who had visited his home. The next day, June 17, Tiwari was killed in an encounter by local police. Since then, political leaders and local residents have alleged the encounter was fake.

In response, the state government suspended several police officers, registered a First Information Report (FIR) against five policemen, and formed the judicial commission. On June 24, thousands gathered in the village for a mahapanchayat (grand village meeting) in Tiwari's memory, claiming he had no criminal record.

Chandan Tiwari, the victim's younger brother, expressed confidence in the commission: “We have full faith in the judicial commission and hope for justice. We want strict action against those responsible for my brother's killing.”

The Bhojpur Superintendent of Police accompanied Justice Sinha during the visit.

Justice Vinod Kumar Sinha, born on April 23, 1958, completed his law degree from Patna Law College in 1983. He joined the Bihar Superior Judicial Service as an Additional District and Sessions Judge in 1997. He served as District Judge of Samastipur and as Legal Remembrancer for the Government of Bihar. He was elevated as an Additional Judge of the Patna High Court on December 9, 2016, and retired as a judge on April 22, 2020. From July 2020 to July 6, 2023, he chaired the Bihar Human Rights Commission.

Opposition leaders, including Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Sudhakar Singh and Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) founder Prashant Kishor, have demanded that the probe extend to senior officials in Patna.