As student protests over the NEET paper leak spread from Patna across Bihar, police opened fire in Jehanabad on 23 July 2026 and in Siwan during the 25 July Bihar bandh. Officials say the Jehanabad shots were fired into the air after stones were thrown, and that a constable in Siwan fired four AK-47 rounds into the air after being surrounded. Three young men in Siwan were hit by bullets; the state says they were wounded by an officer's pistol at another spot, not the rifle. There were also lathi charges and detentions in Begusarai, Katihar and Aurangabad.
Key takeaways
- In Jehanabad on 23 July, after some protesters damaged the gate of the District Magistrate's residence and threw stones, police fired. The SP said 20 to 30 rounds were fired into the air; the DM put it at 10 to 15 and said no one was hurt.
- Alt News geolocated videos showing police in Jehanabad firing carbines towards protesters near the railway station, which questions the claim that all shots were aerial.
- In Siwan on 25 July, constable Abhishek Kumar was filmed firing an AK-47. Police say he fired four rounds into the air after being surrounded; Alt News counted at least nine AK-47 rounds at two places plus two instances of pistol fire.
- Mohammad Arif, 15, Akash Yadav, 21, and Bullet Kumar Gond, 20, were shot in Siwan. Bihar told the Supreme Court an ASI fired two 9 mm pistol rounds at Hathi Chowk and three protesters suffered "minor firearms injuries", not from the AK-47.
- The constable was suspended, the Siwan SP was transferred on 18 August, and the state withdrew protest cases filed before 6 pm on 26 July.
Background: how the protests spread
On 22 July 2026 police used water cannon, tear gas and lathis on an AISA march in Patna demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over the NEET paper leak. See Police action in Patna. Protest marches followed in many districts, and AISA called a statewide bandh for 25 July, backed by the CPI(ML) and the Revolutionary Youth Association. Outlook
The Bihar government later told the Supreme Court the violence followed calls by AISA and RYA, and that a protest call by the Cockroach Janta Party for 24 July "did not have any visible impact in Bihar". LiveLaw
23 July: Jehanabad, Begusarai and Katihar
Jehanabad: firing near the DM's residence and the railway tracks
Protesters damaged the gate of the District Magistrate's residence and threw stones at it and at police. Scroll After a lathi charge, some protesters moved onto the railway tracks and kept throwing stones, and police said they fired about 30 rounds into the air to clear the tracks. Patna Press
Police position SP Kota Kiran Kumar said police fired "around 20-30 rounds into the air": "Our personnel were significantly outnumbered by the crowd, so proportionate force had to be used." Free Press Journal DM Tshering Y. Bhutia said about 10 to 15 rounds were fired after stone-pelting and that no one was injured. Alt News Police said more than 100 people were arrested and blamed "anti-social elements and outside miscreants". Scroll
Claim · CPI(ML) Liberation Party member Kumar Parvez told Scroll that police fired 30 to 35 rounds and that some protesters were hospitalised; he did not say how many. A video the party shared shows police firing in the air and throwing stones at protesters. Scroll
Documented · Alt News video analysis Alt News geolocated videos from two angles showing police firing sub-machine gun carbines towards protesters near the Anganwadi building by the Officers' Colony next to Jehanabad railway station. Alt News
On 24 July RJD MLA Alok Mehta raised the firing in the Assembly. BJP members objected that people who attacked police could not be called students, and the House was adjourned. Free Press Journal
Begusarai and Katihar
In Begusarai, students marched on the Collectorate, where barricades and riot-control units were waiting. Police say a section tried to break through, and force was used; more than half a dozen people were detained. SP Manish said officers tried dialogue first and those who disturbed the peace would be identified from video. Telangana Today (IANS)
In Katihar, students marched from Shaheed Chowk to the Collectorate and sat at the gate. Police used "mild force" to clear the gate within minutes. Telangana Today A magistrate deployed outside the DM's office reportedly suffered a serious eye injury from stone-pelting. Patna Press
25 July: the bandh, Siwan and Aurangabad
Police said the bandh turned violent in Patna, Saran, Siwan, Aurangabad and Bhagalpur. In Aurangabad, police said two police officers and a journalist were hurt by protesters and more than a dozen alleged stone-throwers were detained. Siasat (PTI) In Saran, the government says two Block Development Officers were badly hurt, one losing an eye. LiveLaw
Siwan: the AK-47 and pistol firing
AISA, RYA and other Left groups demonstrated at JP Chowk in Siwan. Siasat Clashes broke out, and police fired. A video of a constable firing an AK-47 spread online the same day, and Tejashwi Yadav accused police of "direct firing with an AK-47 on students". PTI could not verify the video at the time and officials did not confirm the firing. Siasat
Police position On 27 July Bihar Police said constable Abhishek Kumar fired four rounds into the air near JP Chowk after being surrounded, to protect police and government property, and that no protester was hurt by that fire. He was suspended. Siwan SP Puran Jha said a District Intelligence Unit team was passing through while investigating a murder that morning. Free Press Journal
Documented · Alt News video analysis Alt News geolocated footage from three angles showing one constable firing at least eight AK-47 rounds in front of the district commandant's office, a second officer firing at least one AK-47 round on Kagzi Mohalla-Naya Bazaar Road about 400 metres away, and two separate instances of police firing pistols, one in front of Darbar Jama Masjid and one at JP Chowk towards protesters. Alt News
Three young men were shot: Mohammad Arif, 15, Akash Yadav, 21, and Bullet Kumar Gond, 20. They were taken to Siwan Sadar Hospital and referred to Medanta in Patna. Claim · the injured and families None was taking part in violence: Arif was going home after closing a shop, Akash was returning after buying a birthday cake, and Gond was heading to the DM's office for certificates. Gond alleged police beat him with batons after he was shot. Akash told Scroll he could identify the officer with a pistol who shot him. Alt News
Government's position Police said the three were hurt 1.5 to 2 km from JP Chowk, registered FIRs on their statements, and said all three were out of danger. Free Press Journal In its Supreme Court affidavit the state said an ASI fired two 9 mm pistol rounds near Hathi Chowk to disperse a mob and three protesters suffered "minor firearms injuries", not from the AK-47. It said "AK47 is a platoon level weapon to be used in special operations, not law and order situations", and that a ballistic examination was under way. LiveLaw Outlook named the ASI as Nilesh Kumar Singh. Outlook
BJP MP Sambit Patra said on 27 July that Rahul Gandhi's claim that police used AK-47s against students was false. The Wire The state's own affidavit later accepted that an AK-47 was fired.
What the footage shows
Claim · circulating videos Short clips from these districts have circulated online. Going by their captions, and by the reports above, they show these kinds of incidents. We have not verified each clip, and captions are not findings of fact.
- Jehanabad, 23 July: police firing into the air and throwing stones at protesters.
- Begusarai and Katihar, 23 July: students being lathi-charged and detained.
- Siwan, 25 July: a lathi charge, and police firing live rounds amid stone-pelting from the crowd.
- Elsewhere in Bihar, 25 July: protesters shown with bullet wounds after police firing; lathi charges during clashes; and police beating protesters at, and after pulling them out of, a public toilet.
- Aurangabad, 25 July: tear gas fired at protesters.
The Jehanabad and Siwan firing scenes match video analysed by Alt News and reported by Scroll. We found no news report of the public toilet incident or of tear gas in Aurangabad specifically, so those remain allegations.
Protesters' and opposition account
Students and the CPI(ML) say police fired at protesters, not just into the air, and beat women and bystanders. Tejashwi Yadav asked how a constable at a protest came to carry an AK-47 and who authorised it. Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi also condemned the firing. Alt News Outlook
Police and government account
Officials say crowds attacked officials' homes, police and vehicles, and that police were outnumbered. They say shots were fired into the air, the AK-47 hurt no one, and the three wounded in Siwan were hit by pistol fire at a separate spot. The state denies using disproportionate force, says 157 police personnel and seven public servants were injured, and says the AK-47 is not meant for crowd control. LiveLaw
Outcome so far
- Suspension: Constable Abhishek Kumar was suspended for "undesired conduct" and faces departmental proceedings. The Quint
- Transfer: Siwan SP Puran Kumar Jha was moved to the waiting list on 18 August in a reshuffle of 17 IPS officers. Outlook
- Inquiry: A joint inquiry under the Commissioner and the DIG was set up; its report had not been made public. Free Press Journal
- Detentions and cases: 694 people were detained across Bihar on 25 July. On 27 July the government said all protest cases before 6 pm on 26 July would be withdrawn and detainees released. Telangana Today DT Next
- Supreme Court: On 28 July the court noted the AK-47 allegations from Bihar while ordering release of minors and evidence preservation. Open The DGP issued instructions on AK-47 use on 1 August. The Quint
Questions people ask
Did Bihar police fire an AK-47 at protesters in Siwan?
An AK-47 was fired, the state accepts. Police say constable Abhishek Kumar fired four rounds into the air. Alt News's video analysis counted at least nine AK-47 rounds at two places and found footage of pistols fired towards protesters.
Was anyone shot in Siwan?
Yes. Mohammad Arif, Akash Yadav and Bullet Kumar Gond had gunshot wounds. The state says an ASI's 9 mm pistol, not the AK-47, caused what it calls minor firearm injuries.
What happened in Jehanabad on 23 July 2026?
Protesters damaged the DM's gate and threw stones, and police fired. Officials say 10 to 30 rounds went into the air and no one was hurt; videos analysed by Alt News show carbines fired towards protesters.
Was the Siwan SP punished?
He was transferred and placed on the waiting list on 18 August 2026. The constable who fired the AK-47 was suspended.
Were the protesters' cases dropped?
The Bihar government said on 27 July it would withdraw all cases from protests before 6 pm on 26 July and release those held.
Sources
- Telangana Today: Student protests erupt in Patna, Katihar, 23 Jul 2026
- Telangana Today (IANS): NEET protest turns violent in Darbhanga, Begusarai, 23 Jul 2026
- Scroll: Bihar Police open fire at paper leak protesters in Jehanabad, 24 Jul 2026
- Free Press Journal: Bihar Assembly adjourned amid uproar over Jehanabad police firing, 24 Jul 2026
- Patna Press: Bihar Police file 27 FIRs, arrest 93 students, 25 Jul 2026
- Outlook: Why is Bihar bandh today?, 25 Jul 2026
- Siasat (PTI): Bihar Police use tear gas, baton charge as NEET bandh turns violent, 25 Jul 2026
- Free Press Journal: 355 arrested, police deny anyone injured in firing, 27 Jul 2026
- Telangana Today: Bihar Police report 694 detained, 28 Jul 2026
- DT Next (PTI): Bihar govt to withdraw cases against protesters, 28 Jul 2026
- Open: Supreme Court orders release of minors held in NEET protest crackdown, 28 Jul 2026
- Alt News: Siwan, at least nine rounds fired from AK-47 during students' demonstration, 4 Aug 2026
- The Wire: At least nine rounds fired from AK-47 during youth protest in Siwan, 5 Aug 2026
- LiveLaw: 'AK 47 fired but none injured', Bihar govt tells Supreme Court, 17 Aug 2026
- The Quint: AK-47 fired after being 'trapped' in crowd, Bihar Police tells SC, 18 Aug 2026
- Outlook: Siwan SP Puran Kumar Jha shifted over AK-47 row, 18 Aug 2026