Patna, Jun 22: Family members of Bharat Bhushan Tiwari, who was killed in a police encounter in Bihar’s Bhojpur district last week, met Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor in Patna on Monday and sought his support in their fight for justice.
In a statement, the Jan Suraaj Party said Tiwari’s family also urged Kishor to attend a panchayat meeting scheduled for June 24 over the incident.
“Kishor assured the family of all possible support in their fight for justice,” it said.
Tiwari’s death in the encounter has triggered a political row, with questions being raised over the use of force by police and demands being made for an independent investigation. The state government has ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident.
The Jan Suraaj Party had on Sunday organised a candlelight march in Patna, demanding justice for Tiwari.
“The manner in which the social worker was killed in a so-called encounter is tragic and condemnable,” the party’s state president Manoj Bharti had said.
Tiwari, a resident of Bilauti village in Bhojpur’s Shahpur area, opened fire on officers with an illegal firearm when they tried to arrest him on June 17. Police claimed they retaliated in self-defence, during which Tiwari was injured.
He later died during treatment.
However, his family alleged that Tiwari had surrendered before the firing and had discarded his weapon. They also claimed that videos circulating on social media showed him unarmed when police opened fire.
PTI could not independently verify the authenticity of the videos. (PTI)
