Arrah, Jul 31: A Bihar Special Task Force (STF) personnel was arrested in Arrah on Friday in connection with the death of Bharat Tiwari during a police encounter in Bhojpur district last month, an official said.The arrested STF personnel has been identified as Akshay Kumar in the FIR registered in connection with the case, the official said.
The encounter had triggered a political controversy and raised questions over the circumstances surrounding Tiwari’s death, with his family alleging that he had surrendered before the police opened fire.According to the police, Tiwari allegedly fired at a police team during an operation to arrest him on June 17.
The police claimed that personnel returned fire in self-defence, following which Tiwari was injured. He later died during treatment.However, Tiwari’s family disputed the police account and alleged that he had surrendered before the firing. The family also referred to videos circulating on social media that allegedly showed him unarmed before the incident.
The authenticity and context of the videos could not be independently verified.Tiwari’s mother, Asha Devi, welcomed the arrest and said it had brought some relief to the family. She claimed that the development followed an assurance given by Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary during a meeting.She, however, demanded action against other officials allegedly involved in the encounter.
Amid growing political pressure and demands for an independent investigation, the Bihar government ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident.The state police had earlier suspended four personnel over allegations that they failed to respond promptly in connection with the Bhojpur incident.
The investigation is continuing, and the judicial inquiry is expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the encounter, including the conflicting claims made by the police and Tiwari’s family.The arrest does not establish guilt, and the role of the accused personnel will be determined through the investigation and subsequent legal proceedings.
