Three injured as police clash with protesters during Bihar bandh over NEET leak

Three people sustained bullet injuries and several police personnel, including Superintendent of Police (SP) Puran Kumar Jha, were injured in Bihar's Siwan district on Saturday during 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, police said.

Police acknowledged on Sunday that “aerial firing was carried out,” alleging that protesters had “directly attacked” police during Saturday’s violence. However, one of the injured claimed he was hit while going to the District Magistrate’s office to obtain certificates.

Speaking to The Indian Express, SP Jha said it was still unclear whether all three bullet injuries were caused by police firing. “It is not yet clear whether the bullets in all three cases were fired by the police or elsewhere,” he said.

He confirmed that one of the injured, Bullet Kumar Gond, suffered a gunshot wound to his leg during police firing. However, he added that police deployment was absent at the two other locations where bullet injuries were reported.

Gond, a resident of Dumrahar Buzurg village, said he had travelled to Siwan to obtain caste, income and residence certificates when he was caught in the violence. “I had come from my village after a friend suggested we get our certificates made in Siwan. After getting off at the station, we saw clashes. We were heading towards the DM office when I was hit by a bullet in my leg. It passed right through,” he said.

The SP identified the other two injured as Akash and Arif. One was injured in the shoulder, the other between the shoulder and neck. “All three are safe and are recovering well,” he added. The officer said it would be investigated how these two sustained bullet injuries.

“Aerial firing was carried out. From police’s side, four rounds were fired from long-range weapons and three rounds from pistols. In all, around eight to 10 rounds were fired. We are also investigating where the remaining firing came from,” Jha said. He alleged that protesters had “directly attacked police and damaged government and public property.”

On Saturday, Jha had said that police used tear gas and “mild force” after multiple groups converged at Gandhi Maidan despite only one group having permission to protest. “Only one group had permission to protest. The other groups later reached Gandhi Maidan, where clashes broke out among themselves. Police had to fire six to seven rounds of tear gas and use mild force. FIRs will be registered, and strict action will be taken against those responsible,” he said.

According to authorities, protesters gathered at several locations across Siwan, including Gandhi Maidan, JP Chowk, Sadar Hospital Mor, Kagazi Mohalla, Gopalganj Mor and the Siwan Kachahri railway crossing. The situation deteriorated after protesters allegedly resorted to stone-pelting, prompting police to use baton charges, tear gas shells and aerial firing to disperse the crowd.

A local source said protesters moved from Gopalganj Mor towards the Siwan Kachahri railway crossing after the baton charge and damaged police barricades. Simultaneously, large groups assembled at JP Chowk and Sadar Hospital Mor, where stone-pelting intensified. SP Jha was among those injured in the clashes. Despite the police action, protesters continued demonstrations in different parts of the town in smaller groups.

Police said that protesters damaged 19 government vehicles and one private vehicle. They reported 58 police personnel injured and 423 people taken into custody over the violence.