The Bihar government on Saturday (June 20, 2026) ordered a judicial inquiry into the alleged fake encounter of Bharat Bhushan Tiwari (28), who died on Wednesday (June 17, 2026) in Bhojpur district under the Shahpur police station area. Several people, including ruling party leaders, have raised questions about the police encounter of the man who had no criminal record and had been engaged in social work. The incident has sparked massive public outrage and protests across the region.

Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary shared the information on X, saying, “It has been decided to conduct a judicial inquiry by a retired High Court judge for an independent and impartial investigation of the police encounter that took place on 17.06.2026 in Bilaoti village under the Shahpur police station area of Bhojpur district. The objective of the judicial inquiry is to ensure a thorough investigation of all aspects of the incident with complete impartiality and transparency.”

The Bhojpur police landed in trouble after giving two different justifications in two press statements released by their Superintendent of Police (SP) office on June 16 and 17, 2026.

“Shahpur Police Station received information that a man was roaming around carrying a weapon but the police team discovered him mentally unstable. For the safety of the public, a process to transfer him to a mental health facility for treatment and care has been initiated. The police team is making continuous efforts to safely recover the weapon from his possession,“ the statement from June 16 read.

The next day, when the alleged fake encounter took place, the police released a statement that said, “On June 17, 2026, at approximately 09:00 AM, the police received information that an individual named Bharat Bhushan Tiwari was brandishing a pistol and firing into the air. The police and the Bhojpur STF team repeatedly called upon the individual to surrender; however, he continued to fire intermittently at the police with the pistol he was holding. His actions posed a grave threat to the lives and safety of the police team and the general public.”

It further stated, “To bring the situation under control, STF personnel — equipped with bulletproof jackets — attempted to close in on the individual. When the police went close to him, the individual fired at the police; in response, the police team opened fire in self-defense and to protect the public, striking the individual in the leg. The individual subsequently passed away while undergoing treatment at Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), Patna. Further action is being taken.”

The same day, however, a video went viral on social media; here, the deceased was shown to be surrendering before the police by throwing his pistol away. The victim’s Facebook live broadcast, which he started when the police reached the village to confront him, also depicted this version of events. The video also showed that his demand had been that politicians must fulfil the promises they made.

On the evening of June 19, the four policemen, including a Sub-Inspector and Assistant Sub-Inspector, who were on the spot during the encounter, were suspended. Kashinath Tiwari, the father of the deceased, spoke up for his son, saying there had been no need to open fire when Bharat had been willing to surrender.

Earlier in the day, Janata Dal (United) national working president and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Jha said, “The video that has surfaced in the Bharat Tiwari encounter case certainly raises suspicions. The State government has swiftly suspended four policemen, but that is not enough. A time-bound investigation into this matter should be conducted by a senior official, and action should be taken against the guilty. When the government says that no criminal will be spared, it is not just for criminals. If a policeman commits any crime, he too should not be spared; action should be taken against them as well.”

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former Union Minister Ashwni Choubey said in a social media post, “This incident brings shame to our democracy. Bharat Bhushan Tiwari was a strong voice for ST, SC, OBC, the impoverished and marginalised sections. He was brutally shot dead by the police after he had already surrendered.”

He also urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to take cognisance of this case and order an immediate high-level inquiry, and take strict action against the police personnel responsible for the murder, ensuring that no wrong message was sent to society.

Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav has demanded an apology from the Chief Minister over the fact that an FIR had been filed against the family members of the deceased.