Two station house officers in Patna were suspended after a viral video showed policemen allegedly being frisked by supporters of the notorious Sonu-Monu gang before entering a house during a police raid, triggering sharp criticism over the handling of the operation.
The action was taken on Sunday by Kartikeya K Sharma, who suspended Kundan Kumar and Ranjan Kumar on charges of gross negligence and indiscipline.
The controversy emerged after a firing incident that took place on Saturday evening in Nauranga Jalalpur village under the Panchmahala police station area.
According to police officials, the violence was allegedly linked to an ongoing rivalry involving criminals associated with the Sonu-Monu gang and supporters of former Bihar strongman-politician Anant Singh.
Police stated that a criminal allegedly associated with the Sonu-Monu gang opened fire on Mukesh Singh, who is the husband of the local sarpanch and also serves as a PACS chairman.
Officials said Mukesh Singh narrowly escaped the shooting.
Investigators believe the dispute began after Mukesh Singh posted comments on social media following a recent police raid in the area.
According to police, the post praised the police action and stated that the “rule of law” would prevail and criminals would eventually be eliminated.
The remarks allegedly angered Pramod Singh, who is reportedly the father of Sonu and Monu and also a local lawyer.
According to Ram Krishna, Pramod Singh confronted Mukesh Singh over the social media post on Saturday evening, resulting in a heated verbal altercation.
Police alleged that during the confrontation, Sonu arrived at the spot along with supporters, following which one of his associates, identified as Saurav, allegedly fired two rounds at Mukesh Singh.
Based on Mukesh Singh’s complaint, police registered an FIR against Sonu, Monu and several others allegedly involved in the attack.
However, by the time police teams reached the residence of the accused for raids, both brothers had reportedly fled the area.
The situation escalated further after videos from the raid operation surfaced online.
The footage allegedly showed family members and supporters of the accused stopping police personnel at the entrance of the house and forcing them to undergo physical checks before being allowed to enter the premises.
The visuals, showing policemen standing in a queue while allegedly being frisked by civilians, quickly went viral on social media and led to widespread criticism of the police operation.
The incident raised serious questions regarding police authority, operational conduct and security protocol during raids involving criminal groups.
Following the backlash, senior police officials initiated disciplinary action against the concerned officers and intensified efforts to trace the accused brothers.
Police said multiple raids are currently underway to locate Sonu and Monu, who are known to have a long-standing rivalry with the Anant Singh faction.
Officials added that the investigation into the firing incident, the conduct during the raid, and the broader criminal network associated with the gang remains ongoing.
