Indian authorities have suspended a police constable after he fired an AK-47 assault rifle into the air while attempting to disperse student protesters in Bihar, intensifying scrutiny of police tactics during nationwide demonstrations that recently forced the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Videos verified by police showed the constable running towards protesters in Bihar's Siwan district on Saturday before firing at least three rounds into the air. No injuries were reported.
Senior Bihar police official Nilesh Kumar said the officer's actions were unjustified.
"The AK-47 was used by the constable wrongly. It cannot be justified in any way. There was no need of doing so. That is why he has been suspended," Kumar told Reuters.
The rifle had reportedly been issued to the constable because he was attached to an intelligence unit that typically deals with hardened criminals.
NEET paper leak sparked nationwide protests
The protests began after question papers for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) were leaked ahead of the May examination, which was taken by more than two million students across India.
The controversy prompted authorities to cancel the examination and conduct a fresh test.
The movement later broadened beyond the paper leak, with students voicing concerns over youth unemployment, transparency in public examinations and the impact of artificial intelligence on future job opportunities.
Weeks of demonstrations culminated in the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan after sustained pressure from student protesters led by the satirical Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).
The government has since pledged reforms, including conducting future NEET examinations in computer-based mode, introducing stricter anti-paper leak legislation and establishing fast-track courts to handle examination fraud cases.
Opposition slams police action
Opposition leader Mallikarjun Kharge criticised the use of force against students, calling it an attack on democratic freedoms.
"It is one of the gravest assaults on democracy in our history. Never before have students been beaten, dragged and treated like criminals for raising their voices," Kharge said.
He also questioned reports that an AK-47 had been used against student demonstrators in Bihar and demanded accountability from the government.
The issue repeatedly disrupted proceedings in Parliament as opposition lawmakers pressed ministers over the police response to the protests.
Supreme Court judge voices concern
The police action has also drawn criticism from India's judiciary.
Supreme Court Justice Ujjal Bhuyan warned that public space for peaceful dissent was shrinking.
"It will not be an exaggeration to say that public space for expressing divergent opinion is shrinking in India," he said during a public address.
He added that the constitutional right to express opinions and hold peaceful demonstrations must be protected.
Police response under scrutiny
The constable's suspension comes after police were accused of using tear gas and baton charges against demonstrators during large-scale student protests in New Delhi earlier this month.
The protests, which became one of the largest youth-led movements during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's tenure, prompted widespread debate over examination reforms, police conduct and democratic freedoms in India.
