Patna: The state govt has decided to provide financial assistance to the family of late Bharat Tiwari and offer a govt job to one family member, CM Samrat Choudhary announced on X. The decision was based on the interim report of the judicial inquiry into the alleged police encounter in which Bharat died at Bilauti village in Bhojpur district on June 17 this year. Bharat’s family, however, said it had not sought a job or financial assistance but wanted justice and legal action against those responsible for his death.The case drew national attention amid serious allegations against the then Jagdishpur SDPO and Shahpur SHO. An STF constable has been arrested in the case, while a murder case was registered against several police personnel, including the then SDPO and SHO. Administrative action was also taken against the then Jagdishpur SDM, who was removed from his post and attached to Patna headquarters.Bharat’s family had alleged that the encounter was staged and claimed he was shot despite having surrendered. Given the sensitivity of the case, the govt constituted a judicial inquiry committee, which submitted its interim report after speaking to the aggrieved family, villagers and policemen. Bharat’s family had recently met Samrat, who assured them of prompt and appropriate legal action.Samrat said the state govt stood with the aggrieved family and assured that further legal action would be taken swiftly once the final report was received.Bharat’s brother Chandan Tiwari said the family had sought justice, not compensation or a govt job. He urged the govt to take legal action against those responsible for Bharat’s death.Meanwhile, the RJD demanded similar relief and justice for the families of all those killed in alleged staged encounters in the state. RJD spokesman Ejaz Ahmad said the govt’s decision proved the police encounter was fake and demanded similar compensation for other victims.RJD spokesman Shakti Singh Yadav said the announcement of a govt job for Bharat’s family amounted to the govt tacitly accepting that the encounter was staged. “The CM is now on the back foot. By offering compensation, the government has in a way accepted that Bharat Tiwari was killed in a fake encounter. Will CM now apologise to the public? Will stern action be taken against the officials who ordered the shooting?” Yadav asked.Citing the encounter of Ramdhani Yadav, the prime accused in the murder of the Sultanganj executive officer, Yadav said Ramdhani’s family had alleged that he was shot dead behind the police station while in custody, contradicting the official claim of a firefight. He demanded jobs and financial compensation for all affected families.Senior RJD MLA Bhai Virendra welcomed the relief for Tiwari’s family but said justice must not be selective. He sought independent inquiries into all disputed encounters and equitable relief for every victim’s family.Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor also said compensation and govt jobs did not amount to full justice. He demanded criminal proceedings against officials who ordered and carried out the shootings and an independent probe into the Home Department.“Giving benefits to just one family is pure political posturing. Justice must be served to everyone killed in encounters since this government was formed,” Kishor said.BJP spokesman Neeraj Kumar Sharma said the decision reflected the CM’s sensitivity, commitment to justice and humane approach towards Bharat’s family. “This decision demonstrates that the rule of law prevails in Bihar and that the govt is sensitive to the rights and dignity of every citizen,” he said.
