The Bihar unit of the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) convened a public hearing at the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Hall, Gandhi Maidan, where victims of police violence testified to a pattern of systematic repression against student protesters that panelists characterized not merely as police brutality, but as "state brutality."
The hearing, attended by over one hundred students, activists, and civil society members, documented 19 direct testimonies of violence perpetrated during protests held between July 21 and July 27. The victims, largely affiliated with student organizations including AISA, AISF, Disha Chhatra Sangathan, NSUI, and Chhatra RJD, described a campaign of intimidation, physical assault, illegal detention, and custodial torture.
A Pattern of Systematic Violence
According to the PUCL report, the fact-finding team and public hearing recorded at least sixteen distinct categories of human rights violations. These included deliberate lathi charges targeting students, police firing without warning, the use of AK-47 firearms against protesters, and custodial torture resulting in injuries including permanent hearing loss. The report also documented sexual violence against female protesters, including strikes to private parts and misogynistic verbal abuse during raids and in custody.
Several victims testified that police raided homes in the dead of night without warrants, assaulted residents, damaged property, and subjected women—including elderly family members—to abuse and privacy violations. In some instances, officers allegedly warned families that participating girls would be unable to find grooms.
The report further alleges profiling of arrested individuals along caste and religious lines, with Muslims, Scheduled Castes, women, and CPI (ML) activists reportedly facing harsher treatment. Some detainees, including minors, were allegedly held without being presented before judicial authorities or the Child Welfare Committee within the legally mandated timeframes.
Attacks on Legal Professionals
In a particularly concerning development, the hearing documented the targeting of legal aid providers. Two PUCL lawyer-members, who were providing pro bono assistance to detained protesters, were themselves allegedly subjected to illegal confinement and false charges, including unsubstantiated accusations of liquor consumption and obstructing police duties. The lawyers were reportedly paraded handcuffed in public, with their arrest memos leaked to the media.
Panel: "This Is State Repression"
The four-member panel—comprising senior advocate Basant Chaudhary, Padma Shri awardee Sudha Varghese, social activist Arshad Ajman, and former journalist Pranav Chaudhary—unanimously concluded that the evidence pointed to state-sanctioned repression.
"It is only when the government decides to crush a movement that the police unleash their brutality ruthlessly," the panel observed, urging PUCL to seek accountability at the highest levels of state administration rather than treating the incidents as isolated police misconduct.
Demands for Accountability
PUCL Bihar presented a comprehensive charter of demands, calling for an independent and impartial investigation into all police actions from July 21 through July 27, including the use of firearms in Siwan and Jehanabad, custodial torture, illegal detentions, and the Sitamarhi welfare hostel incident.
The organization demanded stern punitive action against responsible police officials, fast-tracked withdrawal of all 64 FIRs filed against protesting students, and adequate compensation for those injured in the Siwan firing. PUCL also called for a review of police training manuals to ensure sensitivity toward constitutional rights and peaceful protest.
Next Steps
PUCL announced plans to compile all testimonies, fact-finding reports, and panel observations into a comprehensive document on state repression to be submitted to government offices, human rights commissions, legislative committees, and courts. The organization is also exploring legal options, including potential writ petitions in the Patna High Court, and will monitor the government's announced withdrawal of protest-related FIRs in coordination with the Jan Nyay Abhiyan.
Additionally, PUCL indicated it would pursue invitations to hold similar public hearings in Jehanabad, Siwan, and Sitamarhi to further document allegations of police violence in those districts.
Comments