PATNA: The Bihar government on Saturday ordered a judicial inquiry into the death of a youth in an alleged police encounter in Bhojpur district after the incident sparked political controversy.
The move comes amid criticism not only from opposition parties but also from ministers, legislators and senior BJP leaders over the circumstances surrounding the death of Bharat Bhushan Tiwari during a police operation on June 17.
Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary announced the decision on X.
"It has been decided to conduct an inquiry into the police encounter at Bilauti village under Shahpur police station limits in Bhojpur district by a retired judge of the Patna High Court," he said.
Choudhary said the objective of constituting the judicial commission was to ensure a fair and impartial investigation into all aspects of the incident.
The announcement came within hours of senior BJP leaders, including Rajya Sabha MP Rituraj Sinha and minister Vijay Kumar Sinha, demanding action against the police personnel involved.
Earlier, Shahabad Range DIG Satya Prakash suspended four police personnel, including the Shahpur police station SHO, for alleged dereliction of duty and mishandling of the situation.
Meanwhile, former Union minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey sought the intervention of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the matter.
In a statement, Choubey alleged that Tiwari was killed in a fake encounter and claimed that the youth had no criminal antecedents.
"The victim did not have any criminal record," he said.