New Delhi: The death of 26-year-old Bharat Bhushan Tiwari in an encounter with the Bihar police has triggered a storm in the state, with Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, who holds the home portfolio, facing flak from within, even from BJP ministers.
Tiwari, a resident of Bilauti village in Bhojpur’s Shahpur area, has been described by local media as someone who used to highlight issues such as flooding, river erosion and displacement on social media. He was killed on 17 June.
Several BJP leaders have raised concerns over the manner in which the police acted during the encounter.
Several BJP leaders, including Education Minister Mithilesh Tiwari, BJP national secretary Rituraj Sinha, Buxar MLA Anand Mishra, and senior BJP leader Ashwani Choubey, have expressed concern over the incident.
Bihar Education Minister Mithilesh Tiwari said that if an alternative course of action was available, it should have been considered and Tiwari’s life could have been saved.
Rituraj Sinha, while calling Tiwari’s death tragic, said that while maintaining law and order is crucial, those charged with upholding it should not resort to violence (“rakshak bhakshak kabhi na bane”). He had also demanded a judicial enquiry into the matter, something the Bihar government has initiated.
In a video statement, Sinha said a viral clip of the incident shows that a thorough investigation was required. He further said that Tiwari did not have a major criminal record and appeared “mentally unstable”.
Former Union Minister Ashwini Choubey, who visited Tiwari’s family, issued a stern statement, saying strict action will be taken against the police if they are found guilty. He further said that Tiwari had, in fact, surrendered, and therefore the police should not have taken such action.
Choubey had also sought the intervention of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the matter. He issued a statement pointing out that Tiwari was killed in a fake encounter, claimed the youth had no criminal record and maintained that Tiwari was raising issues related to the downtrodden.
“Extremely heartbreaking… I am anguished by this hair-raising incident that brings shame to democracy. Yesterday, after young resident Bharat Bhushan Tiwari from Bilaoti, Shahpur in Bhojpur surrendered to the police administration, he was brutally shot dead which is heart-rending. There is no place for violence in democracy,” he posted on X.
After public outcry and severe criticism from several quarters, the BJP government in the state finally ordered an independent inquiry under the supervision of a retired high court judge.
“There was immense pressure on the chief minister as criticism over the encounter came not only from Opposition leaders but also from within the BJP and the government,” said a senior BJP leader. A number of BJP leaders including BJP leader Rituraj Sinha and minister Vijay Kumar Sinha had demanded strict action against the police,” said a senior BJP leader.
“The issue is being viewed seriously by the central leadership too and the Bihar government has now acted swiftly. If the party and government’s own people start raising questions about the government’s functioning, it reflects poorly on everyone,” added the leader.
Addressing the media on the issue of the alleged police encounter with Tiwari, ADG (L&O), Sudhanshu Kumar had said: “A case is registered in the matter. DIG Shahbad has been appointed for the probe in the case. An inquiry committee has been formed under a retired justice of the high court for an impartial and transparent probe into the case.”
The alleged encounter raised eyebrows after the Bhojpur police reportedly provided two different justifications in two press statements released by the Superintendent of Police (SP) office on 16 and 17 June.
Reportedly, in one of the statements issued on 16 June, the police stated that the Shahpur police station had received information about a man roaming around and carrying a weapon and the police later said he was in fact mentally unstable. It further said that efforts were made to shift him to a mental health facility and efforts were also being made to recover the weapon from his possession.
However, the next day, when the alleged fake encounter took place, another statement was reportedly released by the police which stated that on 17 June at around 9 am, police had received information that an individual named Bharat Bhushan Tiwari was brandishing a pistol and firing into the air.
The police in the statement further claimed that they along with Bhojpur STF team called upon him to surrender; but he continued to fire intermittently at the police with the pistol he was holding. Sensing threat to lives and safety of the police team, the statement added that they tried to close in on the individual and the person fired at the police. “In response, the police team opened fire in self-defence and to protect the public, striking the individual in the leg. The individual subsequently passed away while undergoing treatment at Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), Patna. Further action is being taken,” it added.
However, an unverified video had gone viral on social media in which the deceased was shown to be surrendering before the police by throwing his pistol away, leading many to question the version of the police. ThePrint cannot independently verify the social media post video that went viral.
Bihar minister Sinha had also termed the incident “unfortunate” and had said that the government had taken the matter seriously. BJP leader Sinha had also welcomed the decision of the government to order a judicial inquiry. “This step, taken to bring the truth to light while respecting public sentiment, is commendable. I extend my heartfelt gratitude and thanks, especially to the Honorable Chief Minister Shri @samrat4bjp ji, for this,” Sinha had posted on X.
भोजपुर जिले के शाहपुर थाना क्षेत्र के बिलौटी गांव में हुई घटना की निष्पक्ष एवं पारदर्शी जांच के लिए बिहार सरकार द्वारा न्यायिक जांच के आदेश दिए जाने के निर्णय का मैं स्वागत करता हूं।
जनभावनाओं का सम्मान करते हुए सत्य को सामने लाने की दिशा में उठाया गया यह कदम सराहनीय है। इसके लिए… https://t.co/LAoiFIitgy
— Rituraj Sinha (@RiturajSinhaBJP) June 20, 2026
Even as the BJP faces heat from within, opposition parties in the state including the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress and Jan Suraaj intensified their campaign while cornering the government over the matter. While a delegation of RJD leaders met the victim’s family, the party has also announced it will provide legal and financial assistance to the family.
Jan Suraaj Party (JSP), which had also raised a demand for a judicial probe, also carried out a protest in Patna against the alleged police encounter.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)