28KMs, 8 DAYS AND A MIDNIGHT MYSTERY

28KMs, 8 DAYS AND A MIDNIGHT MYSTERY

27-JUNE-ENG 17

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA----------------------------Bilauti village in Bihar's Bhojpur district is currently making national headlines. The case involving the encounter of 30-year-old social activist and social media influencer Bharat Bhushan Tiwari—which took place on June 17 in Bilauti village, Shahpur—has now taken a highly intriguing and suspicious turn. While a retired Patna High Court judge has personally visited the scene to initiate an inquiry, the Bhojpur police's sluggishness and their midnight visits have raised serious questions about the system.

 Judge visits the scene: Scrutinizing every piece of evidence

Public outrage erupted in Bhojpur following this alleged fake encounter. A historic *Mahapanchayat* (grand public assembly) was convened in Bilauti village, attended by Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor and thousands of people from across the country. Amidst mounting pressure from all quarters, Justice Vinod Kumar Sinha—a retired Patna High Court judge and head of the government-appointed judicial inquiry commission—visited Bilauti village yesterday (June 25). He was accompanied by a heavy police contingent, Shahabad Range DIG Satya Prakash, and District Magistrate (DM) Tanay Sultania.

The judge took the following steps to investigate every aspect of the incident:

Inspection of the scene: The judge went directly to the pit and the specific spot where the shooting occurred. He meticulously cross-referenced the police's version of events with the visuals from Bharat's final Facebook Live video, which had gone viral on social media.

• ​​Statements from the victim's family: He then visited Bharat's home. Bharat's mother, Asha Devi, and father, Kashinath Tiwari, tearfully alleged before the judge that their son had surrendered by tossing aside his pistol, but the police forcibly pushed him into the pit and shot him five times in the chest.

Assurance of justice: Justice Sinha accepted the victim's family's written petition, offered them condolences, and gave a firm assurance of impartial justice delivered with complete transparency. However, he refrained from interacting with the media.

The Superintendent of Police (SP) arrived at midnight after eight days: An attempt at damage control?

The attitude of Bhojpur SP Mr. Raj has been the biggest mystery and talking point in this entire affair. The distance from the district headquarters (Ara) to Bilauti village is merely 28 kilometers. It took the district police chief a full eight days to cover this short distance. Surprisingly, the SP did not visit the family during daylight hours; instead, he arrived at their home stealthily in the dead of night.

During this secret visit, the SP spoke about withdrawing the cases filed against the family members and assured them of their safety. However, among the public... The question arises: was this a calculated 'damage control' move following mounting political pressure on the police department from all sides—particularly in the wake of Prashant Kishor's *Mahapanchayat* and his 15-day ultimatum? It is worth noting that a murder case (under Section 302) has already been registered against the then-DSP of Jagdishpur, Rajesh Sharma, and the Station House Officer (SHO) in connection with this incident. Bharat Tiwari's mobile phone, now in police custody, is considered the key to unlocking the secrets of this case.

The *Mahapanchayat* Ultimatum and Political Stir

Prashant Kishor and the *Mahapanchayat*: A massive *Mahapanchayat* held recently in Bilauti village—attended by members of various organizations, including the Jan Suraaj Party—issued a 15-day ultimatum to the government. They have demanded a disclosure regarding who ordered the Special Task Force (STF) sent from Patna to open fire. A warning has been issued that a *gherao* (siege/protest) will be staged in Patna if the demand is not met.

• Statement by Baba Bageshwar (Dhirendra Shastri): Dhirendra Krishna Shastri has also issued a statement questioning the law-and-order situation and expressed his intention to visit Bhojpur to meet the victim's family.

• Matter Reaches the Supreme Court: A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court demanding an impartial investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into this alleged encounter.

Question 1: If the police are describing this as an encounter, why was a murder case (Section 302) registered against the DSP and the SHO?

Answer: According to Bharat Tiwari's final Facebook Live video (which was watched by 160,000 people) and claims made by eyewitnesses, Bharat had surrendered. Shooting someone after they have surrendered constitutes murder under the law; the FIR against the police personnel was registered and the DSP removed following immense public outrage and a formal complaint lodged by the family.

Question 2: Is the victim's family satisfied with this judicial inquiry conducted by a retired judge? Answer: The aggrieved family remains hopeful; however, a *Mahapanchayat* held in Bilauti and local leaders are demanding that this highly sensitive case be investigated by a 'sitting judge' or the CBI—rather than a retired judge—to ensure the probe remains free from local police pressure.

While a judicial commission team is investigating and forensic evidence from mobile phones is expected to surface, the most critical and serious question concerns the police's intentions.

If the police's conduct was beyond reproach and the encounter was genuine, why did it take the Bhojpur SP eight long days—and the cover of midnight darkness—to reach Bilauti village, located just 28 kilometers away?

Is there a major secret hidden behind the narrative of this encounter—one that required so much time to suppress—or was this simply a case of administrative apathy? What is your opinion on this entire matter and the police's modus operandi?