Tiwari was first taken to Shahpur Referral Hospital and then transferred to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), where he succumbed to his injuries.
Published: June 22, 2026, 1:08 PM IST
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Tension has escalated in Bilauti village in Bihar’s Bhojpur district after the death of Bharat Bhushan Tiwari, who succumbed to injuries sustained during a police encounter on June 17. The incident has triggered widespread protests, with family members and villagers alleging that the police used excessive force and demanding an impartial investigation.
Bharat Bhushan Tiwari encounter: What actually happened?
On June 17, Bharat Bhushan Tiwari sustained injuries in an encounter with a joint team from the Shahpur police and the Special Task Force (STF), which attempted to arrest him due to reports indicating Tiwari had been brandishing a firearm and allegedly firing at police personnel.
Tiwari was first taken to Shahpur Referral Hospital and then transferred to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), where he succumbed to his injuries.
However, the deceased’s family has strongly disputed the police version of events. According to the news agency IANS report, a representation has been submitted before the Supreme Court seeking it take suo motu cognisance of the alleged encounter killing of Bharat Bhushan Tiwari in Bihar’s Bhojpur district and directions for the registration of an FIR, an independent investigation, and strict compliance with the apex court’s guidelines governing police encounter deaths.
What events led to the police encounter involving Bharat Tiwari?
Addressed to Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice Surya Kant, the representation was filed by advocate Narendra Mishra, who urged the apex court to order a court-monitored probe, preferably by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or a Special Investigation Team (SIT), into the June 17 incident in Bilauti village under Shahpur police station limits.
The representation contended that the incident has raised “serious questions regarding the rule of law, constitutional protections, and compliance with the guidelines laid down by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in cases involving police encounters”.
Bharat Bhushan’s mother has questioned the nature of the encounter, alleging that the police killed her son after he surrendered. She explained that he was a good man who had helped many people in their community and that his family was unable to comprehend the circumstances surrounding his death. Anger boiled over into demonstrations on the streets of Bilauti Village, with hundreds of villagers blocking the Ara-Buxar four-lane highway. Demonstrators laid Bharat Bhushan’s body in the middle of the roadway while chanting slogans against the police department.
As per the representation, the family members and villagers have alleged that the police have been accused of using excessive force against Tiwari despite the fact that Tiwari had surrendered before the police and thrown away his pistol. Videos circulating in the public domain purportedly suggest circumstances indicating surrender before the shooting.
“The family has consistently maintained that the deceased was unarmed at the time of the shooting and that the incident was not a genuine encounter but an extrajudicial killing,” it said.
The representation claimed that there is no criminal history or previous FIR against the deceased has been publicly disclosed and described him as a graduate who was locally known for raising issues relating to floods, erosion, and public grievances through social media. It further alleged that the deceased did not pose any immediate threat warranting the use of lethal force if he had already surrendered.
“If a person has already surrendered and no longer poses an imminent threat, the use of lethal force prima facie falls outside the scope of lawful police action and may attract offences punishable under Section 302 IPC (earlier law)/ Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, subject to an independent investigation,” the representation stated.
The case has generated a lot of discussion. Some individuals claim that Bharat Tiwari is an activist who stands up for local problems; others cite his many threats against governmental and law enforcement personnel. The controversy began on June 15, 2026, when Bharat Tiwari made some posts on Facebook indicating that he was going to initiate a “revolutionary war” in this country and made a death threat against the SDM of Jagdishpur.
On June 15th, two officers of the police department visited Tiwari’s residence; however, he was not home at that time. Additionally, he also failed to appear before the police that day.
According to the OpIndia report, Police reported that on 16th June, the Shahpur police station received information that a man was being suspicious while carrying weapons. The suspect was identified as Bharat Bhushan Tiwari, who lives in Bilauti village.
When police arrived at Bharat’s residence to question him, he still had the gun. He even went on Facebook Live and spoke with officers. In the Facebook Live video and the related posts, Bharat accused the state government of Bihar and the state government of trying to kill him via an encounter. He claimed that authorities were preparing to take action against him and vowed to continue his fight against the system.
As the videos and posts were being shared widely on social media, Bhojpur Police issued a statement via social media on the evening of the 16th to clarify that Bharat was showing signs of mental health problems, and police were working to get him to a mental health professional. Police also announced that efforts were underway to recover the weapon allegedly in his possession and to prevent any untoward incident.
On June 17th in the morning, Bharat went live on Facebook again and said the police were ttempting to portray him as mentally unfit and forcibly remove him. He also drew parallels between himself and freedom fighter Bhagat Singh and issued warnings directed at law enforcement officials.
The encounter has sparked debate, with two contrasting accounts emerging: one from the police and the other from Bharat Tiwari’s family and supporters. Bharat kept shooting even after the police had asked him multiple times to give himself up, reported police from the Bhojpur district in Bihar. As they got near to him, Bharat shot at them, so they responded by firing back at him and struck him in the leg. He died while getting treatment at the PMCH in Patna, India.
A witness, as reported by OpIndia, stated that before being apprehended by the police, Bharat had disposed of his weapon. They also claim that the police, after taking him too far, shot at him several times. Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav questioned the functioning of the state government and urged Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary to visit the family of Bharat Tiwari and apologise.
Tejashwi alleged that the Bihar government has failed to curb crime in the state. He claimed that innocent people are being targeted while criminals continue to operate freely.
भोजपुर जिले के शाहपुर थाना क्षेत्र के बिलौटी गांव में दिनांक 17.06.2026 को हुई पुलिस मुठभेड़ की स्वतंत्र एवं निष्पक्ष जांच हेतु उच्च न्यायालय के सेवानिवृत्त न्यायाधीश द्वारा न्यायिक जांच कराने का निर्णय लिया गया है। न्यायिक जांच का उद्देश्य घटना के सभी पहलुओं की निष्पक्षता एवं…
— Samrat Choudhary (@samrat4bjp) June 20, 2026
He further accused the police machinery of being preoccupied with enforcing prohibition laws and alleged that corruption and illegal liquor trade have weakened public confidence in law enforcement.
According to Tejashwi, the opposition had consistently maintained that the encounter required an impartial investigation. The Bihar government has already announced a judicial inquiry into the encounter. “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.”
