While national attention remained fixed on the agitation at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar, which ultimately led to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, the far more violent protests unfolding in Bihar received comparatively little focus. Although reports of student demonstrations emerged from cities such as Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata, the scale and intensity of the unrest in Bihar remained largely under the radar. It was only after reports of police firing an AK-47 surfaced two days later that the violence attracted nationwide attention.
The spotlight remained on Delhi, where protests intensified following the July 20 police crackdown and spread to several other cities. This happened even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought to calm protesting students through announcements of fast-track courts and a selfie video. Meanwhile, Bihar was witnessing a far more violent phase of the agitation.
A Bihar Bandh was called on July 25 by student organisations over the NEET-UG paper leak controversy. Demonstrations across several cities, including the capital Patna, escalated into some of the state's most violent street clashes in recent years.
Protesters pelted stones, set vehicles on fire and damaged public property. Dozens of police personnel, including two Superintendents of Police (SPs), sustained injuries. Police responded by opening fire. More than 400 people were arrested. The situation gained national attention after videos emerged of a police constable firing an AK-47 in Siwan and former Bihar minister Tej Pratap Yadav being arrested in Patna, triggering a major political row.
The BJP-led NDA governs Bihar, with Samrat Choudhary serving as the Chief Minister.
The unrest prompted a massive security response, with around 70,000 police personnel deployed across the state. Schools were shut in several districts, while internet and messaging services were suspended in Siwan.
BIHAR PROTESTS: WHAT TRIGGERED THE VIOLENCE?
The July 25 Bihar Bandh was called by several organisations, including the All India Students' Association (AISA), in solidarity with nationwide protests over the NEET paper leak and alleged excesses by law enforcement agencies. What began as a statewide shutdown soon turned violent.
Clashes broke out across multiple districts, including Patna, Siwan, Saran (Chapra), Sitamarhi and Aurangabad. Protesters blocked highways and roads, hurled stones, overturned police vehicles, set government property ablaze and clashed with security personnel.
In Patna, the confrontation near Gandhi Maidan reflected the intensity of the unrest. Protesters overturned a police jeep and engaged in heavy stone-pelting. Traffic police booths were vandalised, and remnants of a crude bomb were recovered from the area. Despite heavy deployment, including paramilitary personnel, authorities struggled to contain the situation. Similar scenes unfolded across several other districts.
SIWAN: THE EPICENTRE OF THE VIOLENCE
The most serious violence was reported from Siwan, around 140 kilometres northwest of Patna. During the clashes on July 25, Siwan SP Puran Kumar Jha was among those injured in stone-pelting. Police initially used tear gas and what they described as "mild force" before opening fire.
On Monday evening, Bihar Police said Constable Abhishek Kumar fired four rounds into the air after he and fellow officers were allegedly surrounded by Bihar Bandh supporters. According to the police, the firing was carried out "to protect lives and government property" and no one in the crowd was injured by those shots. The constable has since been suspended and departmental proceedings have been initiated.
The police statement also said three people with gunshot injuries were found at locations around 1.5 to 2 kilometres away from the firing site and that they were "out of danger".
Siwan District Magistrate Vivek Ranjan Maitreya said no order had been issued to open fire and clarified that even aerial firing had not been authorised. He also questioned why the police personnel had entered the crowd carrying such a weapon.
"The officer got trapped in the crowd, and perhaps that is why he fired," the District Magistrate said.
The constable seen firing the AK-47 has since been suspended. Sources told India Today TV that between four and five rounds were fired, although footage accessed by India Today Digital showed only one shot. Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Kumar Jha (RJD) has also filed a Public Interest Litigation in the Supreme Court over the incident.
One of the injured, Bullet Kumar Gond, claimed he was on his way to the District Magistrate's office to obtain official certificates when he was struck in the leg.
Citing the police's version of events, The Indian Express reported that four rounds were fired from long-range weapons and three from pistols, with a total of around eight to ten rounds discharged during the clashes.
Authorities said protesters damaged 19 government vehicles and one private vehicle. Police also reported that 58 personnel were injured in Siwan, while 423 people were taken into custody in the district.
Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav criticised the police action in a post on X, writing, "During a student protest in Siwan, the police resorted to direct firing on the students. Firing was also done with an AK-47. The police fired bullets on the innocent students who were protesting. Action should be taken against the guilty officials."
According to Bihar Tak, the police personnel seen firing the AK-47 has been identified as Abhishek Patel.
VIOLENCE SPREAD TO OTHER DISTRICTS
The unrest was not limited to Patna and Siwan.
In Sitamarhi, SP Amit Ranjan and several police personnel were injured during stone-pelting, while vehicles were set ablaze. Two police personnel were injured in Aurangabad. In Saran (Chapra), protesters attacked police with stones and torched a police vehicle. Patna witnessed repeated confrontations, including attempts by protesters to breach police barricades.
The Hindu also reported incidents of stone-pelting in Bhagalpur, West Champaran and Lakhisarai.
Rail services were also affected, with East Central Railway's MEMU trains on the Patna-Ara-Buxar route disrupted.
Police responded with lathi charges, tear gas and, in some areas, aerial firing.
The scale of the violence prompted one of Bihar's largest security deployments in recent years. Around 70,000 police personnel were deployed across the state, police leave was cancelled, schools were shut in several districts, and internet and messaging services in Siwan were suspended for 24 hours to prevent rumours and further escalation.
According to police figures cited in multiple reports, more than 400 people were arrested across Bihar following the bandh-related violence. Patna recorded the highest number of arrests, with around 258 people detained, followed by significant arrests in Chhapra and Siwan. Police also registered dozens of FIRs naming thousands of accused, including both individuals identified through CCTV footage and unidentified protesters.
