A police vehicle lies overturned on its side in the middle of a road after being vandalised by an enraged mob, in Sitamarhi on September 12, 2026.
| Photo Credit: ANI

The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Bihar Unit, on Friday (July 31, 2026), criticised Bihar police, in particular the Station House Officer (SHO) of Gandhi Maidan Police Station, Akhilesh Kumar Mishra, for illegal detention, handcuffing and harassing the PUCL members for raising voice against denial of due process to detained students.

PUCL, Bihar Unit General Secretary Sarfaraz said that Akash Keshav, Advocate-on-Record (AOR), Patna High Court and Vrati Kumar, law graduate from Calcutta University, social worker, and independent filmmaker/director, were illegally detained on Sunday (July 26, 2026) and Monday (July 27, 2026). He added that at times Mr. Keshav has assisted the Patna High Court as Amicus Curiae.

As part of PUCL’s legal support group, both had gone to the Gandhi Maidan Police station on Sunday (July 26, 2026) to ascertain the status of the detained students. They were informed that the detainees were being produced before the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) at Chhajju Bagh, Patna. The students were arrested on July 25, during the Bihar Bandh.

“Initially, both observed the proceedings of the open court for a while. When they found that the students were being sent to judicial custody without following due process, they raised their objection with the court. None of the students was informed of the specific charges against them. They were not provided with copies of the First Information Report (FIR), which violated their basic legal rights,” Mr. Sarfaraz said.

He added, “Advocate Mr. Keshav, who was in his proper lawyer’s robes, sought that copies of the FIR be furnished to the detainees; however, the SHO of Gandhi Maidan Police Station declared, in a vindictive manner, that since he had been injured during the protest, all students produced before the SDJM must be sent to jail as a punishment.”

Mr. Sarfaraz pointed out that when advocate Mr. Keshav persisted in making submissions on behalf of the detained students, police officers reportedly turned aggressive and physically cornered both advocates and other advocates present.

“The SHO threatened to prosecute Mr. Keshav unless he stopped raising objections on behalf of students. When they did not give in, he ordered the premises doors locked, and without any direction or permission from the Magistrate, arranged for a breath analyser and compelled both Mr. Keshav and Mr. Kumar to undergo the test on the spot, without the device being calibrated or tested and, subsequently, without any blood or urine confirmatory test being conducted,” Mr. Sarfaraz said.

He asserted that both advocates were taken into custody by the SHO, Gandhi Maidan, while denying their production before the presiding Magistrate, and were whisked off to the Kotwali Police Station, where they were held overnight.

The following morning, on Monday (July 27, 2026), they were taken to a nearby hospital in handcuffs, examined and declared fit, and thereafter brought back into custody.

“Even at the hospital, their urine and blood samples were not taken. Despite repeated requests for removal of the handcuffs, they were paraded in handcuffs, first within the police station, then at the Hospital and later, at around 2:00 p.m., through the premises of Patna Civil Court, in full public view a practice contrary to established guidelines of the Supreme Court and High Court on the use of handcuffs, which permit their use only in exceptional circumstances and never routinely or to humiliate an accused,” Mr. Sarafaraz said.

The handcuffs were removed only after members of the legal fraternity present at the court premises intervened and objected.

Both advocates were thereafter produced before the Special Judge (Excise). Upon hearing the arguments of the Public Prosecutor and advocates for Mr. Keshav and Mr. Kumar, the judge released them on Personal Recognisance (PR) Bond and reprimanded the Investigating Officer (IO) of the Kotwali Police Station for handcuffing them.

“PUCL views this as a deliberate and malicious attempt to malign the reputation of two individuals who were performing the legitimate duty of safeguarding the legal rights of young detainees,” Mr. Sarfaraz said.

PUCL demanded that the FIR filed against Akash Keshav and Vrati Kumar be quashed and an independent inquiry, preferably under the supervision of the Patna High Court, should be instituted into the conduct of the SHO, Gandhi Maidan Police Station, and other police personnel involved in the incident that occurred on Sunday (July 26, 2026) night.

PUCL also demanded that strict action should be taken against the erring officers.

When The Hindu Contacted, Gandhi Maidan SHO was not available, and an Additional SHO said he was injured during the protest and is currently on rest.

Published – July 31, 2026 07:11 pm IST

Bihar Director General of Police Vinay Kumar addresses a press conference at Sardar Patel Bhawan, in Patna on January 9, 2026.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Patna:

Make childless women pregnant and earn big money: that was their business pitch. It did work until the gang was busted and three people were arrested from Bihar.

The alleged scam was reported from Kahuara village in Nardiganj subdivision of Nawada district.  

Cyber scamsters ran an ‘All India Pregnant Job Service’, through which they lured prospective customers and then blackmailed them, said the police.

According to the offer, they tempted people with Rs 10 lakh in exchange for making women pregnant, said the police. Even in case of failure, said the police, the customers were promised Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh.

“Three people have been arrested. They provide ‘All India Pregnant Job Service’ and also run a ‘Playboy Service’. Their MO (Modus Operandi) is that they put advertisements on Facebook. After that many people call them. In the name of registration, these people ask for prospective customers’ PAN Card, Aadhaar card, selfie. They then collect money from the people who fall into the trap of this temptation in the name of registration and booking hotels,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police Imran Pervez.

Those arrested have been identified as Prince Raj, Bhola Kumar and Rahul Kumar. 

Six mobile phones have been recovered from the arrested accused through which WhatsApp chats, customers’ photos, audio recordings and bank transaction information have been obtained, said the police officer.

(With inputs from Ashok Priyadarshi)

Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor, who was sitting on an indefinite hunger strike at the Gandhi Maidan in Patna, was arrested by the Bihar police on Monday morning. Mr Kishor was “forcibly” taken to AIIMS in an ambulance and has been isolated from everyone, sources said.

Mr Kishor has reportedly refused treatment and will continue his fast unto death.

In a video shared by the news agency ANI, a large team of Patna police can be seen trying to remove Mr Kishor from the protest site with his fellow protesters trying to hold him. the police also removed other demonstrators from the site.

#WATCH | BPSC protest | Bihar: Patna Police detains Jan Suraaj chief Prashant Kishor who was sitting on an indefinite hunger strike at Gandhi Maidan pic.twitter.com/cOnoM7EGW1

— ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2025

Mr Kishor, who was an election strategist before he plunged into politics full-time, has been on an indefinite strike since January 2 in support of the protesting students to press the demand for the cancellation of the integrated 70th combined (preliminary) competitive test conducted by the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC). The students are demanding the cancellation of the exam due to an alleged paper leak.

The BPSC exam was held on December 13.

The protest site – Gandhi Maidan – is a couple of kilometers from the spot where several candidates have been on a round-the-clock protest for over two weeks.

“I am with these students with all my might… Till this issue is resolved, I’ll be sitting on a fast-unto death. The candidates are protesting in biting cold, braving baton charge by police and water cannons. The Chief Minister is away in Delhi, and having a good time. He did not utter a single word when reporters in the national capital approached him with queries on the stir,” the Jan Suraaj party chief had said.

Earlier, Mr Kishor said that his party would file a petition in the Patna High Court on January 7 regarding the irregularities in the BPSC examination.

“It is not a matter of decision for us whether we will continue this (protest) or not. We will continue doing what we are doing now, there will be no change in it…We (Jan Suraaj Party) will file a petition in the High Court on the 7th,” he said.

‘Vanity Van’ controversy

A controversy erupted on Saturday over a ‘vanity van’, reportedly with many luxury facilities, parked close to Mr Kishor’s protest site. The Jan Suraaj party chief’s rivals pointed at the plush vehicle and questioned him if he was sincere in his protest.

However, Mr Kishor shot back at them, saying that he needed the van to “avoid the press and rivals from making false allegations of breaking the hunger strike if he went home to use the washroom, as they could say he had gone to eat meals”.

“If I don’t go to the bus, people ask if others use the van. Well, if it’s someone else’s house, they can go, they’re not on hunger strike, they can use the bathroom, they can go to the restroom. But I’m on a hunger strike, and if I go home to use the bathroom, journalists will say I went to eat or sleep,” he said.

“Some even said the van costs Rs 4 crore, and rented at a cost of Rs 25 lakh. If that is so, give me that rent. I will use it. How foolish can people be?” Mr Kishor added.

Patna:

Avnish Kumar had recently cleared the Bihar Public Service Commission exam to become a teacher. On Friday, while on his way to the school where he was employed, two Scorpios intercepted his e-rickshaw. A dozen unknown men got out of the vehicles and pointed guns at Avnish. Within hours, he was kidnapped, beaten and forcibly married to a girl he was accused of being in a four-year-long relationship with.

This marked another instance of ‘Pakadwa Vivah’ — a phenomenon wherein unmarried men are forced to marry with a gun pointed at their heads — in Bihar. According to the police, 2024 witnessed the highest reported cases of forced weddings in the last 30 years. 

The Incident 

Avnish Kumar, son of Sudhakar Rai and a resident of Rajaura in Bihar’s Begursarai district was kidnapped by relatives of Gunjan, a woman from Lakhisarai district. Ashwin and Gunjan were allegedly in a four-year-long relationship. However, Mr Kumar, who secured a government teaching position recently and is posted at a middle school in Katihar district, allegedly refused to formalise the relationship into marriage.

Gunjan alleged that their relationship was serious, involving frequent visits to hotels and shared stays at Avnish’s residence in Katihar. 

“He had promised to marry me and start a family,” Gunjan alleged. “He had also taken me to his school. We were in love for four years. But when I informed my family about it, and we approached him for marriage, he refused. This was unacceptable.”

Three days prior to the incident, Gunjan’s family discovered the couple together in Katihar. They allegedly kidnapped Avnish and forcibly married him in a temple. A viral video shows Avnish being held by several men while Gunjan, dressed in a wedding saree and vermilion on her head, stands nearby. Avnish is visibly distressed as he is coerced into completing marriage rituals under duress.

The Aftermath

Following the forced ceremony, Gunjan accompanied her family to Avnish’s home in Rajaura, but chaos ensued. Avnish reportedly managed to escape. When Gunjan eventually arrived at the house, Avnish’s family refused to accept her as part of their household.

Gunjan has since filed a complaint with the police, pleading for justice. 

Avnish, however, denied all allegations of a romantic relationship. “I had no love for that girl,” he alleged. “She harassed me by repeatedly calling and stalking me. On the day of the incident, some men kidnapped me in a Scorpio vehicle while I was on my way to school. They beat me, forcibly applied vermilion, and tried to perform rituals. I protested throughout.”

Avnish has also filed a complaint, alleging kidnapping and physical assault.

The Bihar Police has launched a special initiative called Safe Travel under the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS). The initiative is designed to safeguard women travelling on the road and will be rolled out in six districts – Patna, Gaya, Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur, Begusarai, and Nalanda – with plans to expand statewide by September 15. 

Bihar joins Telangana and Haryana as the third state to implement such a system, allowing women to have their journeys monitored by the police, both physically and digitally, ensuring they reach their destinations safely.

Earlier, the ERSS implemented a nationwide initiative designed to provide immediate assistance to citizens in emergencies through a unified, single emergency number: 112. It integrates services like Police, Fire, and Health departments into a single, streamlined response platform, accessible 24/7 across all States and Union Territories (UTs) in India.

How safe travel works:

• Dial 112: Women travellers can dial 112 before their journey, by which police can track the vehicle and maintain contact with them throughout the trip.
• Details of the vehicle are recorded, and women can share their live location with the police. In the event that their phone becomes unreachable, an emergency response vehicle will be dispatched to locate them.
• Local police stations along the route are put on alert, and the police stay in touch with the woman traveller, providing round-the-clock support.

The Safe Travel initiative comes as the state prepares for the upcoming festival season, during which women are more likely to be travelling late at night. “This initiative will boost the confidence of women travellers, especially with the increased travel during festivals,” said Nirmal Kumar Azad, Bihar’s Additional Director General of Police (Technical and Wireless), as per the Economic Times

Citizens can activate emergency responses by:

• Dialling 112.
• Pressing the power button three times on smartphones.
• Long pressing the 5 or 9 key on feature phones.
• Sending an SMS to 112 or using the 112 India app.
• Logging into the ERSS website or emailing the local Emergency Response Centre.

Muzaffarpur, Bihar:

 Bihar Police on Friday arrested Mithilesh Kumar, who allegedly helped prime suspect Sanjay Rai evade arrest after the kidnapping and murder of a 14-year-old Dalit girl in Muzaffarpur district.

Kumar, a resident of Paru village, was arrested and the vehicle that was used for Rai’s escape seized, officials said.

The girl was allegedly kidnapped from her home in Paru village on August 11. Her body, marked with injuries, was found in a pond on Wednesday.

Police have charged Rai along with several unidentified persons in the case. This is the first arrest in the case, police said.

The victim’s parents, who are daily wagers, told police that Rai along with his accomplices had forcibly entered their house and held their daughter captive.

According to a statement by police, “Mithilesh Kumar has been arrested on charges of helping prime accused flee the village after committing the crime. A vehicle has also been seized that was used by him to ferry Rai out of the village”.

Police pasted a notice outside Rai’s house warning of asset confiscation if he does not surrender.

Senior Superintendent of Police Rakesh Kumar said while initial reports do not indicate sexual assault, investigation is ongoing with the vaginal swab awaiting results. The girl’s death was attributed to blows to her head and neck, and a trowel was found near the crime scene.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Deoghar:

The Bihar Police detained six people from Jharkhand’s Deoghar district in connection with the alleged irregularities in medical entrance exam NEET, an official said on Saturday.

They were detained from a house near AIIMS-Deoghar in Devipur police station area on Friday night, he said.

“The Bihar Police gave us a tip-off. On our identification, they were taken into custody. All the suspects have been taken to Bihar,” SDPO (Deoghar Sadar) Ritvik Srivastava told PTI.

The suspects were allegedly living at the house of one Jhunu Singh, he said.

They were identified as Paramjit Singh alias Bittu, Chintu alias Baldev Kumar, Kaju alias Prashant Kumar, Ajit Kumar, Rajiv Kumar alias Karu, all residents of Nalanda district of Bihar, and Panku Kumar, according to a statement issued by the Deoghar Police.

NEET-UG was conducted by the NTA on May 5 with around 24 lakh candidates taking part in it. The results were announced on June 4, but they were followed by allegations of question paper leaks in states such as Bihar, besides other irregularities.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Angry villagers vandalised a police station and set it on fire in Tarabari village of Bihar’s Araria district after a man and his minor ‘wife’ allegedly died by suicide in the police custody. 

The man married his 14-year-old sister-in-law two days ago after his wife’s death. They were detained by the police on Thursday afternoon as the legal age for women to get married in India is 18.

The locals said the man and his wife were detained by the police soon after their marriage, alleging that they died in custody after being beaten up by cops. 

A CCTV video, apparently of the police lockup, shows a man climbing onto the lockup door, hanging himself with a cloth. 

As the news about duo’s death spread in the area, angry villagers surrounded the Tarabari police station and threw stones at the police personnel. 

The angry villagers went on a rampage and vandalised the police station, later set it on fire. At least five police personnel were injured in the incident.

Officials said as soon as information about the incident was received, police personnel from several police stations including Sadar SDPO Rampukar Singh reached the spot. 

The angry villagers, however, continued the protest and raised slogans against the police.  

Locals alleged that couple died in custody due to negligence of the police after being beaten up. Police have so far refused to comment on the matter.