Bharat Tiwari Encounter Case In Bihar: Police Officers Booked After Allegations Of Fake Encounter

The Bharat Bhushan Tiwari encounter case in Bhojpur district has intensified into a major legal and political controversy after an FIR was registered against police officers and a judicial inquiry was ordered, amid serious allegations of a staged encounter and excessive use of force in Bihar.

The FIR was lodged at Shahpur police station on the basis of a complaint filed by the victim’s mother, naming the then Jagdishpur SDPO, the then Shahpur SHO and other personnel involved in the encounter operation. Authorities confirmed that the case has triggered formal criminal proceedings against police officers alongside administrative and judicial scrutiny.

Police had earlier claimed that Tiwari opened fire during an operation on June 17, 2026 , when a joint team of Bhojpur Police and the Special Task Force (STF) arrived to arrest him, and he was injured in retaliatory firing. According to the FIR version cited in official records, he was allegedly linked to a case involving illegal arms possession and was said to have fired at police during the encounter after being asked to surrender. The FIR further states that officers returned fire in self-defence after he allegedly attempted to evade arrest in Bilauti village, Shahpur area of Bhojpur district .

However, the family has strongly disputed this version and has raised fake encounter allegations , claiming that he was a local activist known for raising public issues, had no intent to attack police, and had already surrendered before being shot.

In a deeply emotive set of claims, family members and some locals have alleged that after Tiwari surrendered and pleaded not to be killed, he was shot multiple times. They further claim that he sustained around three bullet injuries during the initial firing, and that additional shots were fired later while he was being taken towards hospital, allegedly to ensure his death. These claims have not been independently verified by authorities.

The Bihar government has ordered a judicial inquiry to examine all circumstances surrounding the incident. Meanwhile, political reactions have intensified, with Prashant Kishor meeting the victim’s family and extending support to their demand for accountability.

The case has also seen multiple FIRs and suspensions of police personnel, deepening scrutiny over the conduct of the operation and raising broader questions about transparency in encounter killings in Bihar.