Patna: Bihar police headquarters has announced a major change in the use of weapons during normal police duty with assault weapons such as AK-47, Insas and SLR rifles to be kept only for “serious and special situations”. The new instructions come ahead of the RJD’s Lok Bhavan march on Aug 19 to protest the firing by a constable in Siwan district during the Bihar bandh by student protesters on July 25.As per new instructions issued following DGP Vinay Kumar’s order, assault weapons such as AK-47, Insas and SLR rifles will not be used for crowd control, general law-and-order duty or routine policing.Police HQ has reissued weapon-use guidelines for all officers and personnel across Bihar’s 38 districts. The stricter policy comes after a constable allegedly fired in the air with an AK-47 during the protest. Police HQ had said the firing was not ordered by any officer. The accused constable Abhishek Kumar Patel has already been suspended and departmental action ordered against him.According to the direction, “during normal patrolling, protests, processions and crowd control, jawans will be deployed with weapons suited to the situation. Carrying AK-47 or INSAS will not be mandatory in every case.”Police HQ believes the presence of advanced assault rifles among the public can create fear and tension. It has therefore decided to reduce the unnecessary display of heavy weapons during normal policing while maintaining law and order and reducing public apprehension about police.There is no complete ban on AK-47, INSAS and SLR rifles. They can still be used in serious situations such as extremism, terrorism and special operations against dreaded criminals. The distinction between ‘normal policing’ and ‘special operations’ in terms of weapon use has now been made clearer.“Weapons are a means of security for police. But display of weapons among the public also affects the image of police,” a senior police officer said.The stricter policy comes after a constable allegedly fired in the air with an AK-47 during the students’ protest in Siwan
