Patna, The Bihar Police Headquarters has issued fresh instructions restricting the use of highly lethal assault weapons during law and order and crowd control duties, police officials said on Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The move is aimed at reducing the use of excessive force during protests and demonstrations and strengthening public-safety measures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Under the directive, weapons such as AK-47s, INSAS rifles and SLRs will not be carried or used by police personnel deployed for routine crowd-control operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Sunil Kumar, ADG (Police Headquarters), the Director General of Police Vinay Kumar has reiterated the instructions to all Superintendents of Police.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Automatic and assault weapons are to be used only during operations involving organised crime, insurgency, terrorism and other serious criminal threats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ADG Sunil Kumar said that a standing order regarding the matter was already in place and that the state DGP had again directed district police chiefs to ensure strict compliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He also said the department has previously taken disciplinary action against police personnel who used such weapons without authorisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The directive means that police personnel assigned to ordinary demonstrations, protests and other routine law-and-order situations will not be permitted to carry these highly lethal weapons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The objective is to ensure that crowd-control measures remain proportionate and that unnecessary use of force is avoided.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The new instructions come amid the controversy surrounding the July 25 student protest incident in Siwan, during which a Police Constable allegedly opened fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ADG (Law and Order), K.S. Anupam, said the Constable had not received any order to fire and had acted on his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He also clarified that the Constable was not part of the designated crowd-control team and was suspended immediately after the incident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“There was no order, and he fired at his own discretion. He was not even part of the crowd-control team,” Anupam added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The issue has become a major political flashpoint in Bihar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bihar’s Leader of the Opposition and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav has repeatedly demanded accountability over the police action against protesting students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The RJD has announced an August 19 Raj Bhavan March in Patna over the incident, with Tejashwi likely to lead party MLAs, MLCs and workers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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