PATNA: A major development has emerged in the Bharat Bhushan Tiwari encounter case, with Bhojpur Police arresting the STF officer who allegedly fired the fatal shot at Bharat Tiwari.
The officer is the same person whom Bharat's mother, Asha Devi, had accused of killing her son.
The accused officer has been taken into custody, and further legal proceedings are underway.
The development comes after Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary recently met Bharat Tiwari's mother and other family members.
During the meeting, Chaudhary assured the family that justice would be delivered in the case.
The family had demanded action against two individuals allegedly involved in the encounter.
However, they subsequently expressed dissatisfaction after SDPO Rajesh Sharma, who was also named by the family in connection with the case, was given a new posting as DSP in the Prohibition and State Narcotics Control Bureau in Patna.
Another official linked to the case, Jagdishpur SDM Sanjit Kumar, has already been removed from his post and attached to the Patna headquarters following instructions from CM Samrat Chaudhary.
A judicial inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Bharat Tiwari's death is also underway, while the latest arrest has added a significant new dimension to the investigation.
Bharat Bhushan Tiwari, a resident of Bilauti village in Bhojpur district, was killed in a police encounter on June 17.
According to the police version, Bharat was armed and allegedly opened fire at the police team, following which the police retaliated, and he was fatally shot.
However, Bharat's family has disputed the police account. They have alleged that he had attempted to surrender and was nevertheless shot by the police.
A video purportedly showing the incident has also emerged and has become a key point of contention, with the family alleging that the encounter was staged and that Bharat was deliberately killed.
The arrest of the STF officer who allegedly fired at Bharat is therefore being viewed as a significant step in the ongoing investigation.
The judicial inquiry and subsequent legal proceedings are expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the encounter and determine individual responsibility.
