JUSTICE FOR BHARAT TIWARI

JUSTICE FOR BHARAT TIWARI

26-JUNE-ENG 5

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA----------------------------"The shooter faces the gallows; the entire team faces life imprisonment"—Former DGP’s warning shakes the Samrat government's 'free hand' policy.

The intoxication of the 'free hand' policy in Bihar is now set to backfire on the police department itself—and this warning comes not from an opposition leader, but from former Bihar DGP Abhyanand.

Former DGP Abhyanand has raised a direct and sharp question regarding the "free hand" granted to the police by the Samrat Chaudhary government. His warning is clear:

If this 'unlawful leeway' is exercised outside the bounds of the law, errors are inevitable.

- If any encounter is proven fake, a trial will follow—the officer who fired the shot could face the death penalty, and the entire team present at the scene could face life imprisonment.

- And most importantly—when police personnel find themselves in trouble relying on this unlawful leeway, neither the government nor any official will step forward to save them.

In other words, the Chief Minister will bask in the applause from the podium, while the uniformed constable ends up behind bars.

This warning is not baseless.

This is not an imaginary fear—the recent case in Bhojpur stands as proof. On June 17, a young man named Bharat Bhushan Tiwari was killed in an encounter in Bilauti village, under the jurisdiction of the Shahpur police station. While the police claim he opened fire, his family alleges he was shot even after surrendering. The matter escalated to such an extent that three or four police personnel had to be suspended, and the Chief Minister was compelled to announce a judicial inquiry.

And the most surprising aspect—the questions were raised not by the opposition, but by leaders and ministers within the BJP-NDA alliance itself:

Agriculture Minister Vijay Sinha described the incident as "sad and unfortunate," acknowledging that there had been negligence on the part of the administration.

- Education Minister Mithilesh Tiwari’s statement was even more startling—he remarked that the police should have checked the accused's criminal history before taking action and suggested that instead of a full-blown encounter, it should have been a "half-encounter" (non-lethal action). - Former Union Minister Ashwini Choubey has demanded intervention from the Union Home Minister, describing the incident as one that "shames democracy."

When the BJP Agriculture Minister himself admits to "negligence" and the Education Minister remarks that the encounter should have been a "half-encounter," it is clear that this "carte blanche" (unfettered license) has now set the government's own house on fire.

- Will the Chief Minister, who granted this license from the public stage, accept responsibility when the matter reaches the courts?

- When Minister Vijay Sinha himself acknowledges "negligence," why are only low-ranking constables being punished?

- The Education Minister spoke of a "half-encounter"—is the government itself admitting that the encounter was excessive?

- Will the ordinary constable, who pulls the trigger in obedience to orders, be the only one to stand in the dock?

The Samrat Chaudhary government may be deploying the police force under the banner of "Good Governance," but the law books contain no provision for "carte blanche" authority. The Constitution and Supreme Court guidelines still mandate an inquiry into every encounter. The result: the government reaps the applause on stage, while the uniformed constable stands alone in the trial court.

Both the people of Bihar and the police personnel must understand this: "carte blanche" does not mean being above the law. It is a dangerous political catchphrase; the price for it will be paid by young men in uniform hailing from humble backgrounds, not by those sitting in the corridors of power.