Accompanied by Bhojpur District Magistrate Tanai Sultania and SP Raj, Justice Sinha visited Bilauti village and interacted with the family.
Judicial Inquiry Chief Meets Kin of Encounter Victim Bharat Tiwari in Bihar's Bhojpur
Justice (Retd) Vinod Kumar Sinha, who is heading the judicial inquiry into the Bharat Tiwari encounter case, visited the deceased’s native village in Bihar’s Bhojpur district on Thursday and met his family members, officials said
The death of Tiwari in a police encounter in Bhojpur district last week has triggered a political storm, raising questions over the use of force by police and prompting demands for an independent investigation.
The state government subsequently ordered a judicial probe into the incident.
According to police, Tiwari, a resident of Bilauti village within Shahpur police station limits, opened fire on a police team with an illegal firearm when officers attempted to arrest him on June 17.
Police claimed they retaliated in self-defence, during which Tiwari sustained bullet injuries and later died while undergoing treatment.
His family, however, alleged that he had surrendered before the shooting and had discarded his weapon. They claimed that videos purportedly circulating on social media suggested he was unarmed when police opened fire.
PTI could not independently verify the authenticity of the videos.
Speaking to reporters, Tiwari’s brother said, "Justice (Retd) Vinod Kumar Sinha met us today and heard our account of the incident. We have full faith in the judiciary and are confident that justice will be served. We want strict action against those responsible for my brother’s killing." Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor visited Bilauti village on Wednesday and met the bereaved family.
Addressing a ‘maha panchayat’ there, Kishor had said the role of "top officials sitting in Patna" should also be investigated and warned of a "gherao of the chief minister’s residence" if the family’s demands were not met within 15 days.
He had asserted that "the judicial inquiry should be conducted by a sitting judge and not a retired judge, and it must be ensured that the probe is completed within three months. The scope of the inquiry should extend beyond Bhojpur district, and accountability must be fixed at the highest level".
"The family members of the deceased have made it clear that they want no compensation and no government jobs on compassionate grounds. All they seek is justice. That is the sentiment I, too, express," Kishor had said.
Published At: