A significant political storm is brewing in Bihar following the death of Bharat Bhushan Tiwari in a police encounter in Bilauti, Bhojpur. The incident has cast a shadow over the aggressive policing strategy promoted by Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary. Upon taking office, Choudhary had given a clear directive to the police to show no mercy toward criminals, famously instructing officers to perform their 'pind-daan'—a ritual implying that police should not hesitate to eliminate criminals if necessary. However, this hardline stance has now backfired, with local residents and political observers holding him directly responsible for the fallout of this specific encounter.
Public Outcry and the Mahapanchayat
The aftermath of the encounter has seen a wave of anger spreading across Bihar and beyond. A large 'Mahapanchayat' held in the native village of Bharat Bhushan Tiwari became a platform for widespread criticism against the state administration and Samrat Choudhary himself. Protesters arrived from various states to demand justice, with some calling for Tiwari to be declared a martyr, comparable to Bhagat Singh, and demanding that a statue and memorial be erected in his honor. Notably, former Bihar DGP Gupteshwar Pandey also criticized the encounter, adding weight to the public sentiment. Tensions were further escalated by an individual claiming to be Tiwari’s brother, who announced his resignation from the police force and set a seven-day deadline for the government to deliver justice, although family members later denied any connection to this individual.
Political Pressure and Defensive Measures
The opposition has been consistently critical of the government's reliance on encounters. Previously, Tejashwi Yadav had accused the administration of conducting biased operations, specifically targeting criminals from the Yadav community under Choudhary's directives. Now, with Bharat Bhushan Tiwari—who belonged to the Brahmin community, a key base for the Bharatiya Janata Party—being the victim of an encounter, the political dynamics have shifted. The Brahmin community is now actively calling for Choudhary to step down, using harsh language against him and accusing him of orchestrating the event. Facing such intense pressure, Choudhary has been forced into a defensive position, ordering a probe by a retired High Court judge and directing that all legal cases filed against Tiwari's family members be withdrawn.
The Nitish Kumar Model vs The Encounter Culture
In the wake of this controversy, public discourse has shifted toward comparing the current methods with those employed by Nitish Kumar during his first term between 2005 and 2010. During that period, Kumar managed to curb crime without resorting to encounters. His strategy relied on two pillars: authorizing police to arrest high-level criminals who were previously untouchable during the RJD regime, and establishing fast-track courts to ensure speedy trials. This approach ensured that criminals were either behind bars or stripped of their influence, effectively ending the perceived 'Jungle Raj' in Bihar.
Success of the Legal Process
Under the tenure of Nitish Kumar, between January 2006 and August 2010, 52,343 criminals were convicted and sentenced for serious offenses, including murder, kidnapping, and violations of the Arms Act. A major breakthrough of that era was the accountability of criminal-politicians who had previously operated as gang leaders during the Lalu-Rabri era. Prominent figures like the then-MP from Siwan, Shahabuddin, were convicted in the Chhote Lal Gupta kidnapping-murder case. Rajesh Ranjan, alias Pappu Yadav, the current MP from Purnia, received life imprisonment for the murder of CPM leader Ajit Sarkar, and Anand Mohan Singh was jailed for the murder of District Magistrate G. Krishnaiah. Others, including Surajbhan Singh, Munna Shukla, Sunil Pandey, and Ashok Mahto, were also successfully prosecuted. Because the legal system was functioning effectively, the need for extrajudicial encounters never arose. It is for this reason that many in Bihar are now longing for the return of the legalistic approach that defined the earlier years of the Nitish Kumar administration.
