CASE AGAINST BHARAT’S FAMILY WITHDRAN

CASE AGAINST BHARAT’S FAMILY WITHDRAN

27-JUNE-ENG 20

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA--------------------------The names of Bharat Tiwari's father and brother have been removed from the FIR registered at the Shahpur police station in Bhojpur district. They had been accused under the Arms Act and of harboring Bharat. This FIR was registered in connection with an incident involving gunfire at the police.

The family of Bharat Tiwari (alias Bharat Bhushan Tiwari)—who was killed in a high-profile police encounter in Bhojpur, Bihar—has received significant relief. The case registered against Bharat's family members has been withdrawn. The names of his father and brother have been removed from the FIR filed regarding the firing incident involving the police. In that case, both had been charged with attempted murder, violations of the Arms Act, and harboring Bharat Tiwari. Bhojpur SP Raj confirmed this development on Thursday.

It is worth noting that following the firing incident on the morning of June 17, a case was registered against Bharat Tiwari, his father Kashi Nath Tiwari, and his brother Chandan Tiwari based on the statement of the then Shahpur Station House Officer (SHO), Rajesh Malakar. Charges were filed under sections 132, 109(1), 351(2), and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Arms Act. However, following a supervisory review of the case, the names of the father and brother were removed.

A judicial inquiry has commenced into the death of Bharat Tiwari during a police encounter in Bilauti village, located within the jurisdiction of the Shahpur police station in Bhojpur district. Retired Justice Vinod Kumar Sinha, the head of the one-member judicial inquiry commission appointed by the government, arrived in Bilauti on Thursday morning. He met with Bharat's family members, listened to their accounts, and assured them of a fair investigation and justice. Subsequently, he closely inspected the encounter site and gathered relevant details.

During the inquiry, Justice Sinha listened seriously to the family's version of events and recorded their statements. Family members asked whether there was any law permitting someone to be shot after they had laid down their weapons; in response, Sinha stated that the matter would be thoroughly investigated. The chairman of the judicial commission informed the aggrieved family that regular hearings would commence once a permanent office and the necessary infrastructure were in place. The aggrieved party would be formally summoned to appear. Officials present at the scene included Shahabad DIG Satya Prakash, Bhojpur DM Tanay Sultania, and Superintendent of Police Raj, among others. It is worth noting that on the morning of June 17, Bharat Bhushan Tiwari—a resident of Bilauti village—was injured in an alleged police encounter and subsequently died during treatment. Based on a complaint filed by his family, a murder case has been registered at the Shahpur police station against the then SDPO, the Station House Officer (SHO), and other police personnel. The family alleges that Bharat Tiwari was shot despite having surrendered.